Bees are legally fish in California, court rules. Here’s why and what led to it

Bees are legally fish in California, court rules. Here’s why and what led to it

JUNE 03, 2022

Bees are now legally considered fish in California under the state’s endangered species law, an appeals court in Sacramento ruled Tuesday.

The 1970 act explicitly protected “fish,” which were initially defined as invertebrates. And because the act has protected snails and other invertebrates that live on land since, Tuesday’s ruling said it interpreted the legislation to also include bees.

“Accordingly, a terrestrial invertebrate, like each of the four bumble bee species, may be listed as an endangered or threatened species under the Act,” the 3rd district California Court of Appeals Associate Justice Ronald Robie wrote.

In short, the ruling restored protections to bumblebees, which were initially classified as endangered by California Fish and Game Commission in 2019.

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