British government swats away worries about neonicotinoid impact on pollinators

摘要

British regulators and pesticide experts remain unconvinced that neonicotinoids (a group of chemicals used as insecticides) pose undue risks to bees, concluding in a recent report that existing evidence does not warrant a revamp of current UK pesticide regulations. The 38-page report, released on 13 September by the UK's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), was developed in response to several recent scientific studies that suggest low doses of neonicotinoids can have sub-lethal effects on bees and may be a key factor in declining bee health, including Colony Collapse Disorder.