3個月內(nèi)，巴西已經(jīng)有5億蜜蜂死亡

3個月內(nèi)，巴西已經(jīng)有5億蜜蜂死亡

Being significant contributors to the reproduction of various plants, bees are one of the most integral pollinators in nature. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), bees are responsible for pollinating 75% of the world’s crops. However, they are rapidly dying. Within a 3-month period, Brazil has lost over 500 million bees, leaving the future of our food in question.

蜜蜂是自然界中最重要的傳粉者之一，對各種植物的繁殖起著重要的作用。根據(jù)聯(lián)合國糧食及農(nóng)業(yè)組織(FAO)的數(shù)據(jù)，蜜蜂為世界75%的農(nóng)作物授粉。然而，它們正在迅速死亡。在3個月的時間里，巴西已經(jīng)損失了5億多只蜜蜂，這給我們未來的食物帶來了問題。

It is reported that 500 million bees were found dead by beekeepers in four Brazilian states — 400 million in Rio Grande do Sul, 7 million in São Paulo, 50 million in Santa Catarina, and 45 million in Mato Grosso do Sul.

據(jù)報道，巴西4個州的養(yǎng)蜂人發(fā)現(xiàn)了5億只蜜蜂死亡，其中4億只在南比布布格蘭德州，700萬只在圣保羅，5000萬只在圣卡塔琳娜，4500萬只在南馬托格羅索州。

Image credits: scrural.sc.gov.br

The data has been collected from December 2018 to February 2019.

數(shù)據(jù)收集時間為2018年12月至2019年2月。

Image credits: rostichep (not the actual photo)

The vice president of Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul beekeeping association, Aldo Machado, told Bloomberg that within 48 hours, tens of thousands of honey bees in his colony died after falling sick. “As soon as the healthy bees began clearing the dying bees out of the hives, they became contaminated. They started dying en masse,” he said.

巴西南格蘭德養(yǎng)蜂協(xié)會副會長奧爾多·馬查多告訴彭博社，48小時內(nèi)，他的蜂群中有數(shù)萬只蜜蜂因生病而死亡。“一旦健康的蜜蜂開始清理蜂箱里垂死的蜜蜂，它們就受到了污染。它們開始集體死亡，”他說。

Image credits: hpgruesen (not an actual photo)

The researchers put blame on this devasting situation to the high increase of pesticide use. Since January Brazil has approved almost 300 new pesticides for use on crops.

研究人員將這種毀滅性的情況歸咎于殺蟲劑使用的大量增加。自1月份以來，巴西批準了近300種用于農(nóng)作物的新型殺蟲劑。

Researchers have found pesticide traces, such as fipronil, in some of the dead bees. It is an insecticide which is commonly used for veterinary purposes such as helping to get rid of fleas and ticks.

研究人員在一些死去的蜜蜂身上發(fā)現(xiàn)了殺蟲劑的痕跡，比如fipronil。它是一種殺蟲劑，通常用于獸醫(yī)的目的，如幫助擺脫跳蚤和蜱蟲。

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies fipronil as a possible human carcinogen.

美國環(huán)境保護署(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)將菲普羅尼列為一種可能的人類致癌物。

Image credits: skeeze ( not an actual photo)

Not only does this mean that pesticides are harmful to bees, but the effect on humans is also worrying.

這不僅意味著殺蟲劑對蜜蜂有害，而且對人類的影響也令人擔(dān)憂。

Image credits: NiklasPntk (not an actual photo)

Alberto Bastos the president of the Apiculturist Association of Brazil’s Federal District told Bloomberg that: “The death of all these bees is a sign that we’re being poisoned.”

巴西聯(lián)邦地區(qū)養(yǎng)蜂人協(xié)會的Alberto Bastos總統(tǒng)告訴彭博社:“所有這些蜜蜂的死亡是我們中毒的標志。”

Image credits: NiklasPntk (not an actual photo)