Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Ahead of Lent: California Court Ruled That Bees Are Fish

I'm not sure if bees are part of the WEF's "Eat ze bugs" diet but if so and if one is looking for an alternative Lenten treat, this might be an option.

Seems a waste of perfectly good pollinators but that's something to be taken up with Klaus.

With his vest as vestment he does look the part of a high priest of dietary law: 

https://www.gensix.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Klaus_AL-1.jpg

From the Appeals Court decision:

The California Endangered Species Act (Act) (Fish & G. Code,1 § 2050 et seq.) directs the Fish and Game Commission (Commission) to “establish a list of endangered species and a list of threatened species.” (§ 2070.) The issue presented here is whether the bumble bee, a terrestrial invertebrate, falls within the definition of fish, as that term is used in the definitions of endangered species in section 2062, threatened species in section 2067, and candidate species (i.e., species being considered for listing as endangered or threatened species) in section 2068 of the Act. More specifically, we must determine whether the Commission exceeded its statutorily delegated authority when it designated four bumble bee species as candidate species under consideration for listing as endangered species.

We first reaffirm and expand upon our conclusion in California Forestry Association that section 45 defines fish as the term is used in sections 2062, 2067, and 2068 of the Act, by application of section 2. (California Forestry Assn. v. California Fish & Game Commission (2007) 156 Cal.App.4th 1535, 1552 (California Forestry Assn.).) That means the Commission has the authority to list an invertebrate as an endangered or threatened species. We next consider whether the Commission’s authority is limited to listing only aquatic invertebrates. We conclude the answer is, “no.” Although the term fish is colloquially and commonly understood to refer to aquatic species, the term of art employed by the Legislature in the definition of fish in section 45 is not so limited....

....MUCH MORE (35 page PDF) 

HT: Reason Magazine

California Environmentalists: Bees Are Now Fish
The state's Endangered Species Act doesn't protect insects, so environmentalists and government officials intent on helping bees had to get creative.