Bob Watson: Defra will review whether or not the current British position on neonicotinoids is correct or is incorrect

The coming together of a major problem and a leading problem-solver can be a significant moment, and we witnessed one such last week with the news that Professor Bob Watson is going to have a close personal look at the issue of neonicotinoids, the new nerve-agent pesticides, and their effect on bees and other pollinating insects. For Bob Watson is a towering figure, and that is the bigger significance: he is the world's leading expert on policy responses to global change, on what we should do about climate change, the loss of wildlife, the destruction of ecosystems and the need to feed a world of nine billion people – and in particular, on how we should respond as a society when all these difficulties come together, as they are now. On Monday, the Defra website carried its own story headlined: "Myth Busters", saying the Independent story was not true. It said: "The truth: Bob Watson did not order a review of the evidence......he asked to receive regular updates on new research into the possible effects on insects which are not the target species of pesticides." This is what Bob Watson told me on Friday: "The real Defra position is the following. We will absolutely look at the University of Stirling work, the French work, and the American work that came out a couple of months ago. We must look at this in real detail to see whether or not the current British position is correct or is incorrect." If that's not a review of the evidence, what is? The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation recently published a review of research into the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on bees, with recommendations for action (attached).

He went on: "I've got no clue whether at the end of the day, we will stay with the same position or we will substantially change our position. But we cannot simply say the situation is fine, without fully analysing these papers, and looking at the evidence and comparing it with previous evidence (My italics). The real position of Defra is that we must look very seriously at all of these papers with a very open mind as to whether they will or will not change current policy." Anybody in Defra who wishes to continue peddling the line that Bob Watson has not ordered a review – from Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary, down – is welcome to listen to the tape.

Source: Michael McCarthy, The Independent, 5 April 2012
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/nature_studies/nature-s…