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 ...