Garden centres ditch chemicals linked to bee decline. Now Government must act14 March 2013
The Government is under serious pressure to ban insecticides that could pose a risk to bees. And it's facing Parliamentary calls to support the Friends of the Earth campaign for a Bee Action Plan.
The UK's biggest garden centres - The Garden Centre Group, owners of Blooms and Wyevale, and Dobbies - have told our Bee Cause campaign they'll remove neonicotinoid insecticides from their shelves.
Backing for pesticide restrictions grows
Leading home and garden retailers - with over a thousand stores - are now ditching these chemicals.
Thank you to everyone who contacted their store on this issue - it really helped make a difference.
Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said,
Leading UK retailers have removed pesticides linked to bee decline from their shelves - the UK Government must prise themselves off the fence and take action too.
Early this year the European Commission proposed a restriction on the use of pesticides linked to bee decline.
The proposal is also backed by a wide coalition of environmental groups.
And editorials in the Times and Guardian have called for pesticide restrictions.
Bee Action Plan
Parliamentary pressure is building too - with Labour and the Liberal Democrats calling on the Government to support a Bee Action Plan.
Lord Knight - Labour environment spokesperson - posed the question:
With Friends of the Earth calling for a National Bee Action Plan, do you agree it is finally time for a Plan Bee?
Environment Minister Lord de Mauley has agreed to meet Bee Cause campaigners next week. He said he was "open-minded" about the introduction of a "holistic strategy".
Take action
Please sign our petition for a Bee Action Plan to protect the UK's bees from all major causes of bee decline. Thank you.
