W. Apple Growers In Trouble, Ag. Minister Promises Bee Strategy - 50% Loss Of Colonies In N. Ireland

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Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew has pledged to draw up a strategy to rescue Northern Ireland’s vanishing bee populations. The strategy will tackle Colony Collapse Disorder — or Marie Celeste syndrome — which has seen beekeepers across the province opening their hives only to discover that the insects have vanished.

Earlier this year, the Institute of Northern Ireland Beekeepers estimated that around 50% of Northern Ireland’s honey bees had vanished over the winter.

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Northern Ireland’s multi-million apple industry is under threat due to Colony Collapse Disorder, the conference heard. Conference organiser Dr Rob Paxton from the School of Biological Sciences at Queen’s said many food industries across the world are dependent on bee pollination. Bees are to thank for every fourth bite of food we eat.

“Pollination by bees, honey bees, bumble bees and the 20,000 odd other species of bee is vital to agriculture, to our food supply, and to almost all terrestrial habitats,” he said. “Ninety-nine per cent of tomatoes you buy from a supermarket have been pollinated by a bumble bee. The island of Ireland has 100 species of bee, roughly a third of which are in serious decline.”

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/environment/bees-rescue-plan-pledged-as-apple-industry-suffers-13967914.html

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1. what could go wrong?