Pollinators are an essential component of the Welsh environment. Honeybees and wild pollinators including bumblebees, solitary bees, parasitic wasps, hoverflies, butterflies and moths and some beetles are important pollinators across a wide range of crops and wild flowers and help improve the productivity of pasture systems for livestock grazing.The value of pollination as a contribution to the UK crop market in 2007 was £430 million and the annual cost of hand pollination, were we to lose this valuable service, has been estimated at £1.8 billion in the UK. The value of honey produced in Wales is also considerable with a wholesale value in excess of £2 million in 2011. Declining bee and pollinator health populations have been increasingly highlighted as a cause for concern in the UK. Research indicates that honeybees showed a 23% decline in Wales between 1985 and 2005. Butterflies, hoverflies and many species of moth are also declining across Wales. Wild flower meadows and other semi-natural habitats that support pollinators have also decreased in area.
The Welsh Government has worked with industry and stakeholders to look in more detail at the evidence and issues around pollinators and their conservation in Wales. Following consultation,an 'Action Plan for Pollinators in Wales' was launched setting the strategic vision, outcomes and areas for action to halt and reverse pollinator decline in Wales. A pollinator task force comprising of key stakeholders is now active and a draft implementation plan is in place.
The report sets out a range of scenarios for strengthening monitoring, including sample size requirements and field methods tested for ease, repeatability and acceptability to volunteers
COBWEB Project: A project to recruit citizen scientists from the 3000+ inhabitants of the Penparcau ward (Aberystwyth) to record observations of butterflies and their food resources (larval and adult) using innovative mobile phone and web technologies is due to start in the spring of 2015. Building upon earlier test developments within COBWEB this sub- project was co-designed with Penparcau Community Forum to help record the butterfly species in the area to inform local management plans and increase interest and understanding of the importance of butterflies (and other pollinators) to the health of Wales' natural environment. Data collected in the course of this sub-project will be shared with biological record organisations (National Biodiversity Network, Local Records Centres) to support dissemination and use for a variety of purposes from planning to environmental research and decision making. Data collected will be utilised by Welsh Government to assess the suitability of modelled large scale pollinator resource maps to inform a range of policy questions.
The project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund is helping schools across the UK to protect the future of our declining pollinator populations. For further information and to sign up visit the Polli:Nation website
This ambitious and innovative project aims to undertake a range of initiatives to promote long term sustainable land management and to improve habitats and conditions for all pollinating species across the South Wales Valleys.
More information on the Nature Fund Projects and contact details can be found here
A new Farming Connect fact sheet is now available which sets out simple steps that farmers can take to support bees and pollinating insects in Wales.
Managing Farmland for Pollinators
Wildlife Gardening Pack (pdf)
Controls on Pesticide Use Golden Rules (pdf)
Pollinator case studies (pdf)
Urban meadow
Planting a Butterfly Border at Monnow Primary school
Hoverfly (Xylota sylvarum)
For enquiries about the work of the Pollinator Taskforce in Wales, please contact Maureen Pritchard
Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Branch
Land, Nature and Forestry Division
Welsh Government
Rhodfa Padarn
Llanbadarn Fawr
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion
SY23 3UR
Tel: 0300 062 2253
Email: Maureen Pritchard
The Pollinators Taskforce brings together key stakeholders from the public, private and voluntary sectors to deliver the objectives of the Action Plan for Pollinators in Wales.
Whether you are a part of a Bee Friendly scheme, a member of one of our many supporter organisations or a concerned individual, take a look to see what actions you can take to make our world a little bit greener – discover the Bee Friendly Action Guide, FAQ, application form and plant list.
Bee Friendly Leaflet
The Pollinators Taskforce held two roadside verge seminars in the spring of 2014. The key aims of the seminars were to promote good management of roadside verges to benefit pollinators. Well-managed road verges have the potential to act as wildlife havens supporting pollinators and other invertebrates, wild flowers and grasses in addition to acting as 'wildlife corridors' for many other species including mammals and herpetofauna.
Roadside Verge Seminar presentations
“Combine": converting organic material (cuttings) into storable biofuel - Rachel Smith, Colin Keyse
Pollination and the fauna of roadside verges Clare Dinham, Buglife
Ecosystem service benefits of roadside verges Shaun Russell, Wales Environment Research Hub
The flora of roadside verges in Wales Stuart Smith, Natural Resources Wales
Pollinators and road verges in Wales Mike Howe, Natural Resources Wales
Management of conservation verges on the island of Anglesey Jane Rees, Wildlife Trusts Wales
Pollinator Task Force Actions June 2016
Pollinator Task Force Actions December 2015
Pollinator Task Force Actions June 2015
Pollinator Task Force Actions Nov 2014
Pollinator Task Force Actions June 2014
Pollinator Task Force Actions Feb 2014 (pdf)
