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Frances Watkins, 14 Jun
Britvic Ireland has announced that its Ballygowan facility in Newcastle
West, has become an official area of conservation for the Native Irish
Honey Bee.
The commitment aims to raise awareness on the importance of pollinators
and their contribution to sustainable development and makes Ballygowan
the only bottled water company in Ireland that has a commitment to
being an area of conservation with the National Irish Honey Bee Society
(NIHBS).
The Newcastle West site is the biggest industry in Limerick to have a
conservation area that boasts over 40 acres of protected land, part of
which is used to house five Native Irish Honey Bee colonies as part of
the area of conservation for the species.
The Native Irish Honey Bee plays a critical role in the pollination of
plants and crops, however research published by University of Galway in
2023 found that the level
s of the native black honeybee are in stark decline due to
cross-breeding with non-native imports, also known as hybridisation.
According to the research, the rate of hybridisation has risen from 5%
to over 12% across a five-year period.
To support the Native Irish Honey Bee’s survival and prosperity in the
area of conservation, Britvic Ireland expanded long flowering meadows
on the Newcastle West site from just over 2,700 metres squared to
nearly 23,000 metres squared in 2022 and has allowed all meadows to
grow year-round with overgrown shrubs cut back to enable fresh growth
and wildflower development.
Kevin Donnelly, managing director, Britvic Ireland commented:
“Sustainability and biodiversity are central to our operations at
Britvic Ireland. I am delighted that our Ballygowan production facility
at Newcastle West is now an official area of conservation for the
Native Irish Honey Bee.
“By its nature, Ballygowan has always been attuned to the importance of
our environment and as a company, we recognise the critical role that
biodiversity holds in contributing to our ecosystem.
“Without key pollinators, we would be without the fruits and flavours
that are carefully crafted into some of our best loved products. With
this certification, we make another step of progress in our
biodiversity commitment, with Ballygowan now recognised as the only
bottled water company in Ireland that has committed to being an Area of
Conservation with the NIHBS, which we are very proud of.”
As members of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, Britvic Ireland
participated in No Mow May, which is a campaign that encourages the
natural growth of flora by refraining from cutting grassy areas to help
native wildlife.