Bee and bumblebee species are now classified as fish in California, according to a state appeals court ruling in late May. This surprising new classification aims to protect these pollinating insects.
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Although their survival is threatened, in reality bees, like all other insects elsewhere, are not included in California’s endangered species protection laws (California Endangered Species Act, CESA), reports My future.
Therefore, it was decided to consider them as fish so that they would be protected in the same way as endangered birds, reptiles, plants, mammals and fish.
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In fact, the environmental NGO Xerces Society has exploited a loophole in the law, which defines fish as “wild fish, mollusks, crustaceans, etc.”, including any invertebrates. Since bees are invertebrates, the Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the organization.
not the first
This is not the first time that an animal that does not live in water has been considered a fish to ensure its protection.
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Trinity swamp snail, a wild species, was designated as such when it was designated a protected species in 1980. The California Game and Fish Commission has ruled that the term “fish” cannot be limited to animals that live in a marine environment. Frogs also fall into the category of fish, as the definition of fish includes amphibians.
The committee argued in court that bees can and should be a fish, and refers to the specialized media Law and crime.
