The Scottish Wildlife Trust has met top researchers at the University of Dundee to see first hand the work being done to understand the loss of insect pollinators across the world.
The Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the Environment and Rural Affairs Tavish Scott MSP joined Trust Head of Policy Maggie Keegan on a tour of the University’s Centre for Neuroscience at Ninewells Hospital.
The group met with experts from the Universities of Dundee and Stirling to discuss the ecological losses caused by declining numbers of bees and other pollinators and the potential dangers of pesticides, particularly a type called neonicotinoids.
The group met Dundee’s Dr Chris Connolly, who is currently working on a £1.8million project to examine whether the use of pesticides is hampering the cognitive functions of bees, and Professor David Goulson from Stirling, whose research on the effects of neonicotinoids on bumblebees was published earlier this year.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust is currently running a campaign to ban neonicotinoids, and is following the results of the Dundee research closely.
Click here to find out more about our campaign.
Scottish Wildlife Trust Head of Policy Dr Maggie Keegan said, “The Scottish Wildlife Trust is very pleased to see that Tavish Scott is committed to finding out about the science behind neonicotinoid insecticides and the damage they do to insect pollinators and is meeting two of the scientists at the forefront of this research.
“These chemicals are harmful to bees and the Scottish Wildlife Trust believes the Government should adopt a precautionary approach and take action by banning their use while Dr Connolly and Professor Goulson conduct more research.”
Declining numbers of honeybees, bumblebees, and other insect pollinators are particularly concerning as it is believed up to a third of human nutrition is dependent on insect pollination. The total loss of insect pollinators could cost Scotland’s economy at least £43million each year.
No single cause for pollinator decline has been identified, and the reasons behind it are thought to be complex and involve interactions between the pollinator, the environment and the pests/diseases that affect these insects.
While pesticides are screened to be non-lethal to bees before they are passed for use, the Dundee team are examining if chronic exposure to a combination of chemicals could be harming bumblebees and honeybees.
Dr Connolly said, “Our meeting is about highlighting the importance of policy changes regarding the use of pesticides and the need for further, long-term investment in research into human impact and our dependence on the environment.
“Chronic exposure to pesticides may be particularly important in the context of other challenges faced by these insects. Problems may manifest at a number of behavioural levels such as navigation, communication, learning and memory, and development into adults.
“If bees were to die out, then our food security would be seriously compromised. We rely exclusively on bees to pollinate such a large number of our staple foods and the only alternative, which is hand pollination, is not really an option.
“With research being carried out at four universities – Dundee, Stirling, Edinburgh and St Andrews – Scotland has considerable strengths in this area. Our Dundee laboratory brings cell and molecular biology technology to this growing ecological problem.”