Friends of the Earth Malta has submitted recommendations on Malta’s National Strategy and Action Plan for Pollinators 2035. The strategy should aim to set a number of key proposals to safeguard all pollinators given their role in pollinating many food crops and wild plants and their contribution to our food production and the diversity of our environment.
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FoE Malta’s recommendations aim to support pollinator ecology and conservation through various measures. These include prioritising research on under-studied pollinator groups, valuing ecosystem services, and quantifying benefits in urban areas. The establishment of a National Pollinator Monitoring Scheme is suggested, along with reducing honeybee imports and protecting native bee populations. Additional measures involve creating wildlife corridors, protecting habitats, and encouraging pollinator-friendly projects in urban areas.
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Preserving all pollinators is crucial for their role in food crop pollination, biodiversity, and food production. Nearly 90% of wild flowering plants and many cultivated fruits and vegetables rely on pollination for survival, impacting our environment, food chains, and overall well-
being. Malta boasts a diverse range of pollinators, including bees, wasps, ants, beetles, flies, butterflies, moths, thrips, birds, and small mammals. However, bees and other pollinators are facing environmental challenges, with some species at risk.
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Agricultural policies are urged to promote environmentally friendly practices and organic farming. The implementation of greening and agri-environment schemes should be monitored for pollinator benefits. Collaboration with experts, NGOs, and awareness-raising initiatives on pesticide alternatives is recommended, as well as enhancing wildlife protection in development and planning policies.
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Friends of the Earth Malta sees that the proposed strategy could serve as a way of combining all pollinator related initiatives, such as the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for Malta (NBSAP) and the National Agricultural Policy for the Maltese Islands. It is crucial for its effectiveness to include clear enforceable provisions to ensure that protection measures are made enforceable by means of a specific policy and by inclusion and reference in planning laws and policies. Considering that the strategy should also include targets to have a monitoring programme, it should commit to be eventually reviewed once viable data is obtained.
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FoE Malta has been campaigning on the importance of having this strategy in place for many years now, emphasizing the need for its prompt implementation. The recommendations can be downloaded from here.