Birds, Bees and Colony Collapse
Countryside Sports enthusiast Jim Shannon is worried about a decrease in the number of songbirds and other wildlife. His concern - that this might be due to an increase in the number of foxes. Readers might remember that Jim is keen on the revival of the old "fox bounty" which used to be paid to hunters who shot the animals. In a written reply published earlier this month, the Environment Minister Arlene Foster acknowledges that the number of foxes appears to be on the rise, but argues there is no scientific information to suggest they are killing songbirds in significant numbers.
Elsewhere the SDLP's Alasdair McDonnell wants the Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew to start counting the number of bees here. He's concerned that the local bee population could be suffering from something called "Colony Collapse Disorder".
The Fermanagh MP says her officials keep an eye on "managed" bees, but don't count the number of indigenous bees. "There is no evidence" she concludes "that Colony Collapse Disorder is present in the North of Ireland". Which, one presumes, must be a matter of regret to republicans given all their efforts to promote colony collapse over the decades.
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