US: California Court classifies bees as a type of 'fish'; here's why

A California court has ruled that bees can now be classified as fish under a state endangered species law, sparking a nationwide debate. The judges ruled that bees can be legally classified as a type of fish to protect them under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA).

While California is home to a plethora of fauna and flora - some of them endangered, not all among them get the State's legal protection. Four bee species among them were identified as endangered in 2018, however, the State's laws did not provide them with the legal protection status and were not considered 'endangered species' due to the way the insects are classified in the US according to zoologists.

Notably, the endangered classification included protecting animals that are native species or subspecies of a bird, mammal, fish, amphibian, reptile, or plant. But bees don't fit anywhere in the category.

To bee or not to bee?

Animal conservationists and environmentalists who have been debating the issue in court since 2018 finally found a loophole in the definition of "fish," which is described as a wild fish, mollusks, crustacean, invertebrate and amphibian. Since most creatures involved in the definition are not actually fish, advocates argued that among the five categories, bees can be included under 'invertebrates' since they too don't have backbones.

Conservationists expressed that this landmark judgement opened doors for critical protections for four endangered bees in California and could further grant legal endangered and protection status to certain insect species in the State.

Although the California Fish and Game Commission and several agricultural groups argued that the CESA may grant some sort of protection to bees, they reportedly appealed to the court claiming that the organisation's shield was only applicable to birds, mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and plants, and not insects.

The California Court in its response, has now much to the dismay of those groups ruled that threatened or endangered invertebrates, including the four native species of bees and bumblebees, can be listed under CESA, given the somewhat vague definition of a fish written in its framework.

Bees are now classified as a type of fish

According to CESA's definition of an endangered species explained on its website, it is stated that 'A native species or subspecies of bird, mammal, fish, amphibian, reptile, or plant which is in serious danger of becoming extinct throughout all, or a significant portion, of its range due to one or more causes, including loss of habitat, change in habitat, overexploitation, predation, competition, or disease...” can be considered endangered.

Notably, the decision clarifies that insects such as bees qualify for protections under CESA, which are necessary to ensure that populations of endangered species can survive and thrive.

Director of an advocacy group claimed that 'with one out of every three bites of food we eat coming from a crop pollinated by bees, this court decision is critical to protecting our food supply,' said Rebecca Spector, West Coast Director at Center for Food Safety, in a statement to the media.