Are Bees Fish? The Courts May Have to Decide in California

A California board is considering listing four species of bumblebees as endangered, and the debate may lead to an interesting question: Whether bees are legally the same as fish. The California Fish and Game Commission voted 3-1 June 12 to move forward with a petition to list the Crotch, Franklin’s, Western, and Suckley cuckoo bumblebees as endangered. The move triggers a year-long review. If listed under the California Endangered Species Act, the bees would be the first pollinators and insects added. Pesticide restrictions, grazing rules, and other habitat protections could then be ordered. But the courts will likely get involved. nsects aren’t specifically cited as eligible for listing—but supporters of the permit said they fall under the definition of fish, which includes invertebrates. They say bees don’t have backbones and are therefore eligible. “We believe California Endangered Species Act was enacted to protect all of the state’s species, including insects,” Defenders of Wildlife California Program Director Kim Delfino said. Opponents say the definitions aren’t as broad and point to a 1998 opinion from the state Attorney General’s office saying protections “apply to birds, mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and plants.”...MORE