Bumblebees can be classified as ‘fish’ under California conservation law, court says
Bumblebee hive at left, an entomologist shows how he took a bee from the hive and put it onto the conveyor belt that he uses to identify the insect. Bumblebees can be classified as ‘fish’ under California conservation law, court said.
A federal court in California has ruled that the state’s bumblebee classifies them as “fish”, but a local group has argued that such a designation is unconstitutional.
A San Diego-based group called the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit saying the designation is unconstitutional.
The designation means they may not be sold or used in the state.
A San Diego-based group has filed a lawsuit saying the bumblebee designation is unconstitutional. The designation means they may not be sold or used in the state
The California Fish and Game Commission had appealed a ruling by the U.S. District Court in San Diego that the state’s bumblebee regulations do not violate federal law.
That commission is appealing that decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
Bees pollinate flowers, but they were removed from the list of endangered species because it was believed they were losing their way as a result of global warming.
California has about 450 different types of bumblebees, which are used to pollinate more than 400 species of plants.
It was estimated that the state would lose 10,000 acres of native plant habitat if they were removed from the endangered species list.
A sign above the entrance to the San Diego Zoo shows where the bumblebees have been moved at the San Diego Zoo. The bumblebees have been classified as ‘fish’ because they have no right to be in California
A picture of a bumblebee taken near the entrance to the San Diego Zoo shows the bees have been moved to a