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February 15, 2021 2:03 pm
Pollinators are in decline, with one-third of our 98 wild bee species threatened with extinction from the island of Ireland.
According to the report ‘Working together for biodiversity: Tales from the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2015-2020’, the problem is “serious and requires immediate attention to ensure the sustainability of our food, avoid additional economic impact on the agricultural sector and protect the health of the environment”.
The recently-published reflective report looks at the role farmers have in increasing biodiversity and ensuring pollinator-friendly landscapes.
Farmland
The report notes that with around 65% of Ireland’s landscape being agricultural land, the long-term success of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan “hinges on making farms more biodiversity-friendly”.
Many native bee species are under threat, according to the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
A European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project, which aims to improve biodiversity for pollinators on farms by working closely with farmers, was the subject of a recent Teagasc spring tillage webinar.
The Protecting Farmland Pollinators project is about developing small actions, which will allow biodiversity to co-exist within a productive farming systems, according to Dr Saorla Kavanagh of Biodiversity Ireland.
It aims to help farmers to provide small habitats that will offer food, safety and shelter on their farms for pollinators (wild bees, hoverflies) and other biodiversity.