A California court has determined that bees are fish, in what has been hailed as a “wonderful day” for the state’s bees. Bees are not fish scientifically, as the judges of California’s Third District Court of Appeal pointed out in their decision. A Bee Movie/Finding Nemo crossover is unlikely to happen anytime soon. Bumble bees, on the other hand, were classified as invertebrates by the court, giving them protection under the California Endangered Species Act.
In its summary, the justices stated, “The question posed here is whether the bumble bee, a terrestrial invertebrate, falls under the definition of fish.” Birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and fish are all considered “endangered species” under the CESA. Insects such as bees are excluded under this concept. The judges, on the other hand, thought it was “ambiguous” whether the legislature meant for the definition of fish to solely apply to aquatic creatures. They point out that the statute already covers a terrestrial mollusc.
“Of course, a fish, as the phrase is usually understood in ordinary language, lives in water. The technical term under section 45 [of California’s Fish and Game Code] includes mollusks, invertebrates, amphibians, and crustaceans, all of which comprise terrestrial and aquatic species, as the Department and the Commission point out “According to the judges. “Moreover, the Trinity bristle snail — a terrestrial mollusk and invertebrate — is an endangered species under the Act by virtue of the precise wording in section 2067, and could have qualified as such only under the definition of fish under section 45.”
The Fish and Game Commission has the jurisdiction to identify invertebrates as endangered or threatened species, according to the court. “Following that, we’ll look at whether the Commission’s power is confined to merely listing aquatic invertebrates. We’ve come to the conclusion that the answer is ‘no.’ “They compose. “Although the term fish is often used to relate to aquatic species, the term of art used by the Legislature in the definition of fish in section 45 is not confined in this way.”
In brief, bumble bees are fish if the Fish and Game Commission declares them to be so – in order to provide them with better protection. The decision has been praised by insect protection groups and other environmentalists, despite the fact that it is rather strange in terms of how fish and bees are generally classified. In a news release, Pamela Flick, California Program Director for Defenders of Wildlife, remarked, “It’s a terrific day for California’s bumble bees.” “Today’s ruling reinforces that the California Endangered Species Act protects all of our state’s threatened native species, which is vital to preserving our state’s renowned biodiversity.”
“Bees and other pollinators are essential to healthy ecosystems, and the vital pollination services they perform benefit us all, making this decision all the more important.” The judgement, which reversed a lower court decision, means that other insect species might be designated as fish in order to receive the same protection as these bees. “With one in every three bites of food we consume coming from a crop pollinated by bees, this court ruling is crucial to preserving our food supply,” said Rebecca Spector, Center for Food Safety’s West Coast Director. “The ruling establishes that insects like bees are eligible for CESA safeguards, which are vital to guarantee that endangered species populations may survive and develop.”
