Today I share some unfortunate news. The Superior Court of Sacramento County recently sided with agricultural groups and determined that the State of California does not have the legal authority to protect insects under the California Endangered Species Act.
This story began more than two years ago when the Xerces Society, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Center for Food Safety filed a petition with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) asking the state to grant protection under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) to four bumble bees—western, Suckley cuckoo, Crotch’s, and Franklin’s—that are at risk of going extinct. Protection under CESA would prevent these four species from going extinct, and protect the diversity of wild bees that pollinate crops throughout the Central Valley. They are also essential pollinators of wildflowers from the mountains of the Sierra Nevada to the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. This petition was strongly supported by bee researchers throughout the world.
Crotch’s bumble bee (Bombus crotchii) on milkweed. (Photo: Xerces Society / Stephanie McKnight.)
These bumble bees used to be far more common and have suffered significant declines over the past twenty-five years. Franklin’s bumble bee only occurs in an area in northern California and southern Oregon that is about 60 miles wide; it hasn’t been seen since 2006, and was recently proposed to be listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. Crotch’s bumble bee historically occurred from the northern Central Valley to Baja Mexico, but has been lost from 80% of its historic range and now primarily persists only in coastal southern California habitats, though it also survives in a few areas north and southwest of Sacramento. The western bumble bee has also been lost primarily from Pacific coastal areas of its historic range and the Suckley cuckoo bumble bee is now considered to be Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
In June of 2019, the Fish and Game Commission designated these four bumble bees as candidate species under CESA, granting them the same level of protection that species listed as endangered receive. By early September, a lawsuit was filed against the Commission and CDFW by lawyers representing several large-scale agricultural groups, including the Almond Alliance of California, California Association of Pest Control Advisers, California Citrus Mutual, California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association, California Farm Bureau Federation, Western Agricultural Processors Association, and the Western Growers Association. The Xerces Society, along with our conservation partners (Defenders of Wildlife and Center for Food Safety), joined the lawsuit as intervenors on behalf of the state, represented by Stanford Law School’s Mills Legal Clinic. Many of the commodity groups whose crops benefit from pollination by wild bees joined this lawsuit. To establish standing, these groups suggested that listing these four bumble bees under CESA would interfere with farming—however, the legislature has broadly exempted agriculture from liability associated with CESA.
The petitioners argued that the state of California did not have the legal authority to protect insects under CESA when they designated these four bumble bees as candidate species. They cited section 2062 of the Fish and Game Code, which states that an “ ‘endangered species’ means a native species or subspecies of a bird, mammal, fish, amphibian, reptile, or plant which is in serious danger of becoming extinct throughout all or a significant portion, of its range”. However, the state legislature defined “fish” very broadly in the Fish and Game Code, stating in section 45 that “ ‘Fish’ means a wild fish, mollusk, crustacean, invertebrate, amphibian, or part, spawn, or ovum of any of those animals.” Since bumble bees are unquestionably invertebrates, the State of California, as well as the Xerces Society and our conservation allies (the intervenors), argued that the state has the authority to protect bumble bees under CESA. However, Judge Arguelles concluded that the legislature meant only marine invertebrates when it included the term invertebrates in the definition of fish, stating in the ruling that “the word ‘invertebrates’ as it appears in Section 45’s definition of “fish” clearly denotes invertebrates connected to a marine habitat, not insects such as bumble bees.”
Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis occidentalis) on aster. (Photo: Xerces Society / Rich Hatfield.)
As a biologist who works entirely on the conservation of invertebrate species, I found this interpretation surprising. In the definition of fish, the state legislature did not qualify the type of invertebrates to be included (such as marine, freshwater, terrestrial), so I have long understood that any invertebrate in danger of going extinct would be eligible for protection under CESA. The legislature also included mollusks, crustaceans, and amphibians within its definition of fish. Invertebrates, mollusks, crustaceans, and amphibians contain many species with no association to marine habitats. Many mollusk species, in addition to many invertebrate species, live their entire lives on land. Indeed, three non-marine invertebrate species are already protected under CESA: the trinity bristle snail (a terrestrial species), and the Shasta crayfish and California freshwater shrimp, both of which live in freshwater habitats. None of these previously CESA-listed invertebrate species have any connection to marine environments.
About 80% of the world’s animals are insects. If this ruling stands, the California Endangered Species Act will effectively exclude a huge proportion of animal diversity from a law that was enacted to broadly protect the state’s wildlife. Pollinators, among other insects, are essential to life on this planet, and should be conserved in their own right—but also for the services that they provide. Numerous studies show that conserving a diverse suite of pollinators is necessary for the sustainability of our food supply. Though we are disappointed in the Court’s decision, we will continue our work to understand and conserve the most endangered wild pollinators in California and beyond.
Read the CESA petition
Learn more about how to protect bumble bees.
Quick tips on how you can support the life cycle of bumble bees: Bumble Bee Conservation (brochure)
Detailed guidance on Conserving Bumble Bees by creating and managing habitat.
Leo ninashiriki baadhi ya habari mbaya. Mahakama ya juu ya Sacramento County hivi karibuni iliunga mkono makundi ya kilimo na kuamua kwamba Jimbo la California halina mamlaka ya kisheria ya kulinda wadudu chini ya Sheria ya California ya Spishi Zilizokabili Hatari. "Mwaka jana, shirika la Xerces Society, Defenders of Wildlife na Center for Food Safety liliwasilisha ombi kwa Idara ya Samaki na Wanyamapori ya California (CDFW) ili kuunda ""mwisho wa mwisho wa maisha ya nyuki"" kwa nyuki wanne wa California, ""Western"" na ""Crouch"" ambao wako katika hatari ya kutoweka." Ulinzi chini ya CESA ungezuia spishi hizi nne kutoka kutoweka, na kulinda utofauti wa nyuki wa mwituni ambao hupunguza mazao katika Bonde la Kati. Pia, wao ni wavuvi muhimu wa maua ya porini kuanzia milima ya Sierra Nevada hadi pwani za Bahari ya Pasifiki. Ombi hilo liliungwa mkono sana na watafiti wa nyuki ulimwenguni pote. Crotch's bumble bee (Bombus crotchii) juu ya milkweed. Picha: Jamii ya Xerxes, Stephanie McKnight Nyuki hao walikuwa wengi zaidi na wamepungua sana katika miaka 25 iliyopita. "Mnyama huyo wa aina ya ""Bumble Bee"" anaishi katika eneo la kaskazini mwa California na kusini mwa Oregon, lakini hajawahi kuonekana tangu mwaka 2006 na hivi karibuni alipendekezwa kuorodheshwa chini ya sheria ya jamii zinazohatarishwa." Kwa mfano, nyuki wa Crotch, ambaye aliishi katika eneo la kaskazini mwa Bonde la Kati hadi Baja Mexico, amepotea katika eneo lake la asili la 80% na sasa anaishi tu katika maeneo ya pwani ya kusini mwa California, ingawa pia anaishi katika maeneo machache kaskazini na kusini magharibi mwa Sacramento. "Kama vile nyuki wa magharibi, nyuki wa magharibi pia amepotea hasa kutoka maeneo ya pwani ya Pasifiki ya eneo lake la kihistoria na nyuki wa magharibi wa Suckley Cuckoo sasa inachukuliwa kuwa ""Katika Hatari ya Kuangamia"" na Umoja wa Kimataifa wa Uhifadhi wa Asili." "Kama ilivyoelezwa, Tume ya Samaki na Mchezo ilitoa chaguzi nne za ""Bumblebee"" kama aina ya mgombea chini ya CESA, ikiwapa kiwango sawa cha ulinzi ambao spishi zilizoorodheshwa kama hatari hupokea." Madai ya kisheria yaliwasilishwa na mashirika ya kilimo ya California, pamoja na Almond Alliance ya California, California Association of Pest Control Advisors, California Citrus Mutual, California Cotton Ginners & Growers Association, California Farm Bureau Federation, Western Agricultural Processors Association, na Western Growers Association. Shirika la Xerxes pamoja na washirika wetu wa uhifadhi (Walinda Wanyamapori na Kituo cha Usalama wa Chakula) walijiunga na kesi hiyo kama wahusika kwa niaba ya serikali, wakifanywa na Kliniki ya Sheria ya Mills ya Shule ya Sheria ya Stanford. Makundi mengi ya bidhaa ambayo mazao yao hufaidika kutokana na chavua ya nyuki wa porini yalijiunga na kesi hii. Ili kuanzisha kusimama, makundi haya yalidokeza kwamba kuorodhesha nyuki hawa wanne chini ya CESA ingesumbua kilimo - hata hivyo, bunge limetoa msamaha mkubwa kwa kilimo kutoka kwa dhima inayohusiana na CESA. Watoa ombi walisema kuwa jimbo la California halikuwa na mamlaka ya kisheria ya kulinda wadudu chini ya CESA wakati walipoteua nyuki hawa wanne kama spishi za mgombea. "Katika kifungu cha 2062 cha Sheria ya Uvuvi na Uvuvi, ""aina inayokabili hatari ya kutoweka"" inamaanisha aina au aina ndogo ya ndege, mnyama, samaki, amfibia, mnyama, au mmea ambao uko katika hatari kubwa ya kutoweka katika eneo lake lote au sehemu kubwa." "Kama sheria ya California, ""samaki"" inamaanisha samaki wa mwituni, mollusk, crustacean, invertebrate, amphibian, au sehemu, au ovum ya wanyama hao, ""Kama nyuki bumble ni bila shaka invertebrates, Jimbo la California, pamoja na Shirika la Xerxes na washirika wetu wa uhifadhi (waingiliaji), walidai kwamba serikali ina mamlaka ya kulinda nyuki bumble chini ya CESA." "Hata hivyo, hakimu Arguelles alikata kauli kwamba sheria ilimaanisha tu wanyama wasio na uti wa mgongo wa baharini wakati ilijumuisha neno ""watu wasio na uti wa mgongo"" katika ufafanuzi wa samaki, akisema katika uamuzi kwamba ""neno ""watu wasio na uti wa mgongo"" kama inavyoonekana katika ufafanuzi wa ""samaki"" katika kifungu cha 45 linaonyesha wazi wanyama wasio na uti wa mgongo waliounganishwa na mazingira ya baharini, sio wadudu kama nyuki." Picha: Jamii ya Xerxes Rich Hatfield Nikiwa mwanabiolojia anayefanya kazi ya kuhifadhi spishi zisizo na uti wa mgongo, niliona ufafanuzi huo kuwa wenye kushangaza. "Katika ufafanuzi wa samaki, bunge la jimbo halikuweka aina ya wanyama wasio na uti wa mgongo (kama vile baharini, maji baridi, na ardhi) ambayo inapaswa kuingizwa, kwa hivyo nimekuwa na ufahamu kwa muda mrefu kwamba wanyama wasio na uti wa mgongo ambao wako katika hatari ya kutoweka watastahili ulinzi chini ya CESA. """ Bunge hilo pia lilitia ndani moluska, wanyama wa baharini, na wanyama wa baharini na baharini katika ufafanuzi wake wa samaki. Wanyama wasio na uti wa mgongo, moluska, korongo, na wanyama wanaoishi baharini wana spishi nyingi zisizo na uhusiano wowote na mazingira ya baharini. Spishi nyingi za moluska, pamoja na spishi nyingi za wanyama wasio na uti wa mgongo, huishi maisha yao yote kwenye nchi kavu. Kwa kweli, aina tatu za wanyama wasio na uti wa mgongo wa baharini tayari zinalindwa chini ya CESA: mnyama wa Trinity bristle (a spishi ya nchi kavu), na shasta crayfish na California shrimp ya maji baridi, zote mbili zinaishi katika mazingira ya maji baridi. Hakuna aina yoyote ya wanyama wasio na uti wa mgongo waliotajwa hapo awali katika orodha ya CESA wana uhusiano wowote na mazingira ya baharini. Karibu asilimia 80 ya wanyama duniani ni wadudu. Kama uamuzi huu unasimama, Sheria ya California ya Spishi Zilizokabili Hatari ya Kutoweka itaondoa kwa ufanisi sehemu kubwa ya utofauti wa wanyama kutoka kwa sheria ambayo ilianzishwa kulinda kwa ujumla wanyama wa porini wa jimbo hilo. Wapungaji, miongoni mwa wadudu wengine, ni muhimu kwa maisha kwenye sayari hii, na wanapaswa kuhifadhiwa kwa haki yao wenyewe - lakini pia kwa huduma ambazo hutoa. Uchunguzi wa hivi karibuni unaonyesha kwamba kuhifadhi aina mbalimbali za vimelea ni muhimu kwa ajili ya uendelevu wa ugavi wetu wa chakula. Ingawa tumevunjika moyo na uamuzi wa Mahakama, tutaendelea na kazi yetu ya kuelewa na kuhifadhi vimelea vya mwituni vilivyo hatarini mwa kutoweka huko California na zaidi. Soma ombi la CESA Jifunze zaidi juu ya jinsi ya kulinda nyuki. Kwa mfano, unaweza kutumia njia ya kuhifadhi nyuki wa Bumblebee, ambayo ni njia ya kuhifadhi nyuki wa Bumblebee kwa kuunda na kusimamia mazingira yao.