A bizarre ruling in the state of California has readers puzzled as one species of animals are now legally considered another species. Here’s the ruling and what Elon Musk had to say about the ruling.
What Happened: An act to protect fish set in 1970 is now the basis of naming bees as fish in the state of California, according to the Sacramento Bee.
If you’re confused by bees being fish now, you likely aren’t alone.
The state’s endangered species law was used in an appeals court recently to label bees as fish in an effort to protect them.
The act protects invertebrates that live on land and snails along with fish.
“Accordingly, a terrestrial invertebrate, like each of the four bumble bee species, may be listed as an endangered or threatened species under the Act,” California Court of Appeals Associate Justice Ronald Robie wrote.
In 2019, the California Fish and Game Commission named bumblebees as endangered. The declaration was challenged by agricultural groups who appealed the decision. In 2020, a judge in the Sacramento County Superior Court said the law only protected invertebrates in marine habitats like fish, siding with the farmers who appealed.
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Why It’s Important: The new ruling from the appeals court goes back to the original designation of bees being protected as a threatened species, winning a case brought by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
The new ruling could help protect declining populations of bees that are needed for pollination. The ruling will not stop farmers from being able to continue their operations, according to the paper.
The ruling caught the attention of Whole Mars Blog, a popular Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) account that shares news on Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) and the electric vehicle space.
“Bees are legally fish in California, court rules,” Whole Mars Blog tweeted.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who was tagged in the tweet, jumped in to share his comment on the new ruling.
“There are so many crazy rules like this that make it extremely difficult to build anything new in California,” Musk tweeted.
The comments from Musk come after he moved the headquarters of Tesla and himself to the state of Texas after previously operating the company and living in the state of California.
Photo: yod 67 via Shutterstock
