In recent years, the bribe to save bees has intensified further. While climate change was rapidly worsening earlier, the pandemic has caused, at least a partial, slowing down of pollution. This was positive news until another news from Croatia popped up last month. In yet another blow to the climate, suspected pesticide poisoning has fifty million bees dead in Croatia.
The government declared a natural disaster after the northern region of Medzimurje discovered an unusual death streak in bees. Several scientists and inspectors are suspecting the cause to be mass pesticide poisoning. Although it doesn’t seem to a natural disaster, by claiming it to be such, the government can handle agricultural impoverishment as well.
Local beekeepers expressed shock and disappointment after they found swarms of bees dead on 9th June. Many local media sources have reported varying numbers of distorted hives. Some say 600, while the rest claim it to be 1,150. Nevertheless, the estimation comes up to at least fifty million bees dead.
Croatia is rich in honey bees with around 10,000 local beekeepers. There are at least 500,000 honey bee hives, and it produces around 8,000 tons of honey per year. But due to this unfortunate event, many beekeepers are bound to face heavy losses. As per Zeljko Vrbos, a member of the Croatian Beekeeping Association, at least one-third of the local beekeepers have lost all their bees due to the mass pesticide poisoning.
However, the bees don’t just provide honey. They are extremely important for the healthy functioning of our fragile ecosystem. They serve their function of pollinators and are responsible for boosting modern farming.
The Cause Of Fifty Million Bees Dead Is Not Natural
Marija Vuckovic, Minister of Agriculture, told media sources that the investigation points to the fact that the bees did not have a natural death. However, she decided to stay quiet until the authorities concluded their investigation.
Local beekeepers have also spoken out against the Save River that flows near the region. They claimed that the river is polluted because of the antibiotics disposed of in it.
Although the fifty million bees dead is definitely a cause for concern, Vrbos stated that since the area of impact is small, the national economy won’t falter due to this. He added that that the incident was a local one and so the crop yield from across the country is unlikely to be affected because of it.
Thankfully, the Croatian government has deemed the incident a natural disaster. All the beekeepers affected by the incident are eligible for compensation.
While northern Croatia was the one to face the burnt this time, we need to remember that bees across the globe are facing similar dangers. An intensified use of herbicides and pesticides is severely harming the global bee population. The growing trend of monoculture has added another factor to this already trite situation.
The fifty million bees dead in Croatia should be a triggering message of warning for us all.
Image Credit: Stefano Carella