Ashington Town Council Approves Emergency Motion to Save Insects
On Tuesday 27th February, Ashington Town Council’s Climate Change and Environment Committee approved an emergency motion to take decisive action to address the rapid decline of insect populations in the UK. The motion put forward by Cllr. John Tully (Leader of Ashington Town Council) aims to make insect conservation and recovery a top priority.
"Insects are the foundation of ecosystems and food chains supporting all life on our planet," said Cllr Tully. "Their staggering rate of decline demands immediate collaborative action if we hope to reverse this extremely alarming trend. Think back to times when you removed insects from your car windscreen - it' doesn't happen so often nowadays."
The emergency motion highlights recent reports showing over 40% of the world's 5 million insect species now face extinction. In the UK, insect populations have declined by 50% or more since 1970 due to habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change pressures.
"As pollinators of one-third of our food supply, insects are critically important to agriculture and our ability to feed everyone," said Cllr. Sophie Robinson, Chair of the Climate Change Committee. "Ensuring insect populations can thrive again needs to be central to all the Council's environmental policies and maintenance of spaces moving forward. If we can lead by example and share the message to save and restore our insects we will be living up to the Committees' objectives."
The motion puts forward a comprehensive plan of action focused on preserving habitats, reducing pesticide use, and promoting public awareness. Measures proposed include creating insect-friendly areas on Council-managed land and allotment sites, eliminating non-essential pesticide application, and launching community science and educational initiatives to encourage action by residents and community groups.
"Collaborating with residents and community groups, we want to make Ashington a hub of biodiversity supporting wildlife to once again thrive," said Cllr. Mark Purvis, Chair of Ashington Town Council. "Our commitment marks an important step toward sustaining resilient ecosystems in the face of climate change. We have shown that we take climate change seriously in the steps that we have taken to date, and we will continue to the very best of our abilities."
"Insects are declining rapidly which is alarming as they are vital in every aspect of our daily lives - from pollinating our food sources and controlling pests such as aphids to providing food for birds and mammals such as bats and shrews.
"I am delighted that Ashington Town Council has taken this step and hope other councils across the UK follow its lead." Duncan Hutt, Director of Conservation, Northumberland Wildlife Trust.
The Council emphasised that Ashington can lead by example in addressing this ecological crisis. Through swift, dedicated efforts to aid insect recovery, the town can share and celebrate the solutions needed to restore balance in nature and build sustainable, healthy communities.
To view the full motion, click here
