News.Scotland.Org

November, 26

Honey! Where is the honey? Sure the people of UK will ask this question because of the scarcity of honey in the UK markets. This global shortage of honey is caused due to the unfavourable weather this year. It is reported that the largest exporter of honey Argentina experienced a drought this year, which was the main reason for this deficiency of honey.

The adverse situation prevented the flowers to grow from which the bees could gather the pollen. This climatic change affected the honey market, meanwhile the weather also played a spoil sport this time with unusually cold summer, forcing bees to cut short their working time.

All these problems diminished the production rate of honey to half the amount this year. This sudden drought condition also affected the areas of Eastern Europe and Australia disturbing the honey industry immensely. Even Scotland was not left with this honey shortage and here also the markets experienced honey scarcity.

To meet the growing need for honey in markets, the shopkeepers have to rely on the foreign honey to cope up with the demands in the local markets. It is known that usually honey is produced during May to September and weather plays a vital role. If the weather is not favourable then the honey production gets a beating. Even the beekeepers have to face the burnt of this weather tragedy this time.

Expressing his views on the poor honey production this year, Thomas Heck, the Chairman of Honey Association said, “this time the prices of honey would rise up. He added, this year one can also look out for a 25 percent hike in the prices of raw-materials too”. Also with the festival season on the door this shortage in honey would be a major concern for all.

Scotland, Nov 26: In the backdrop of the sinking of MS Explorer that was holed by an iceberg in Antarctica, safety alarm is being raised over ‘extreme holiday’. MS Explorer carried 150 passengers on board hit an iceberg that damaged its hull and the water started flooded into the ship and paved the way for its gradual sinking. All the people on board were forced to escape in open lifeboats and they endured the sub-zero conditions.

Operators who organise extreme holidays indicated that the holidaymakers should be aware of the risks being involved in these type of holiday celebrations.

“The increasing trend to run cruises in extreme remote location in extremely dangerous conditions is a grave matter of concern. The condition of the ships involved in this kind of operation is also not up to the standard. The area chosen for these trips are also far away from the reach of the search and rescue team,” said the assistant general secretary of maritime union Nautilus UK, Mark Dickinson.

The passengers who escaped from the MS Explorer include 24 Britons after experiencing the hours’ long lifeboat ordeal. They overcame the unbearable temperature level of -5c before they were transferred to another ship named Endeavour and later to the Norwegian vessel named Nord Norge. The tourists had paid £4,400 each for the 19-day tour package.

In an inspection conducted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency they found five faults, the main thing among them are the missing of search and rescue plans and the improper maintenance of the lifeboats. Water tight doors were not up to the standard and the fire safety measure also draws criticism.

The thorough examination of the reasons behind the sinking of MS Explorer is definitely an eye opener to codify the safety measures in these kinds of ships that are used for extreme holidays in and around Scotland.