British government swats away worries about neonicotinoid impact on pollinators

摘要

British regulators and pesticide experts remain unconvinced that neonicotinoid insecticides pose undue risks to bees, concluding in a new report that existing evidence does not warrant a revamp of current U.K. pesticide regulations. The 38-page report (bit.ly/P5jfiI), released Sept. 13 by the U.K.'s Department for 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.