Pollinator populations face threats in Ecuador and Spain

Beekeeping and pollinator health are facing significant challenges in Ecuador and Spain due to environmental and biological threats.

In Ecuador, the Colectivo en Defensa de los Polinizadores is advocating for stricter protections against intensive agriculture, pesticides, and climate change. While Quito has implemented an ordinance prohibiting certain herbicides and insecticides in public management zones, activists are calling for a national ban on substances like fipronil and imidacloprid. Local beekeepers report substantial losses, with some documenting the death of hundreds of hives due to agrochemical spraying.

In Galicia, Spain, the PSdeG political group has warned that honey production has dropped by approximately 50%. The sector is struggling with the expansion of the invasive Asian hornet (Vespa velutina), which has seen a massive increase in sightings, and the impact of droughts. The shortage of flowering periods due to extreme weather is reducing food availability for bees, leaving many beekeeping operations economically unviable.