Scottish Government launches bee strategy

On a visit to the Royal Highland Show, cabinet Secretary for rural affairs, Richard Lochhead launched a new strategy to protect and improve the health of the insects so vital to pollinating much of the fruit and vegetables grown in Scotland.

Over the next three years, £50,000 has been committed to support BeeBase, a national database that provides beekeepers with information on the activities of the National Bee Unit.

The Scottish Government has also contributed £500,000 towards a UK-wide £10 million research programme into pollinators.

It also confirmed a successful bid from Scottish Bee Services for funding for a Bee Health Initiative under the Rural Tayside Leader Programme.

The £183,000 will be used by Scottish Bee Services to create a frame sterilisation plant in Perthshire where 60 per cent of Scotland’s honey is produced.

Mr Lochhead said: “We are committed to supporting the beekeeping community to ensure that Scotland has a sustainable and healthy population of honey bees over the next ten years.

“The strategy is being backed-up by a number of other measures, such as an increase in the number of bee inspectors, the establishment of a database for Scottish beekeepers and investment in research programmes.

“We will continue to work closely with bee keepers to help secure a profitable future for the industry in Scotland.”

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