Bee petition garners more than 5,000 signatures
A petition calling for urgent measures to protect the habitats of Luxembourg's bees was presented to the government on Thursday with a whopping 5,350 signatures.
Launched by conservation organisation nature & ëmwelt and Greenpeace Luxembourg, the petition was presented to Agricultural Minister Fernand Etgen and Environment Minister Carole Dieschbourg.
Under Luxembourg law, if a petition garners 4,500 signatures or more it will be discussed in parliament.
This means that the motions made in the petition will reach Luxembourg's political representatives.
The two organisations point out that bee populations have fallen dramatically in Luxembourg. From Autumn 2010 to Spring 2013, numbers fell by more than 40 percent. The demise of bee colonies is thought to be down to mites as well as the loss of habitat and use of pesticides in agriculture.
“Bee deaths are thus a direct consequence of the intensification of domestic agriculture,” said nature & ëmwelt president Roby Biwer.
During the presentation of the petition, the organisations urged both ministers to ensure the preservation of bee habitats and those of other pollinating insects and ban the use of what they describe as killer pesticides (imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, fipronil, chlorpyriphos, cypermethrin and deltamethrin). They also want more funding for research into and promotion of organic farming.
“We don't just want a few cosmetic changes to agricultural policy. We appeal to the government for a long overdue shift towards sustainable agriculture in Luxembourg,” said Greenpeace Luxembourg campaigner Martina Holbach. www.savethebees.lu
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