National Pollinator Strategy Adds Incentives, But No Regulatory Changes

The declining population of bees and other pollinators will be addressed by a ten-year government initiative, which may affect the way farmers manage their land.

The recently-revealed National Pollinator Strategy includes £900m of countryside stewardship schemes to incentivise wildflower planting, pollinator-friendly crops and other conservation measures.

The use of certain pesticides, such as neonicotinoids, which were recently restricted for two years by European legislation, is also mentioned in the document. However, the strategy contains no new regulations regarding pesticides, beyond recommending that they are used "responsibly and sustainably".

Some campaigners have warned that greater regulation is needed to safeguard the health of the honeybee population.

Matt Shardlow, chief executive of the conservation charity Buglife, said the strategy is "a starting point" but urged for more efforts to ensure any pesticides used are not harmful to bees.

"Recent history has shown that we are still authorising insecticides that kill bees and other wildlife: there must be more thorough testing so that licenced pesticides are indeed environmentally safe," he added.

Expert Opinion

It is very welcome to see the government introducing incentives – but there needs to be increased focus on regulation of pesticides on a precautionary basis. <br/> <br/>"Whereas some land may be 'set aside' for these schemes, without changes to pesticide use, insects such a bees could struggle to maintain their already declining populations."