California Appeals Court Rules That Bees Are Now Fish So They Can Be Included Under Endangered Species Act

I'm no biologist, but it seems to me like something fishy is going on in California's courts.

A California appeals court has just ruled that, for the purposes of the endangered species act, bees are now fish.

Read that again: In the state of California, bees are now fish.

I am all in favor of protecting bees. I know they're important. I watched Bee Movie.

But isn't it a little wacky that we have to change the definition of FISH so that California can now use its government powers to protect bees?

What in the world is wrong with passing a bee-specific protection act? Wouldn't that go over pretty well in California of all places?

Of course, the real question here is this: What gives California the right to tell a bee how it identifies?

Sure, there are probably bees out there who identify as fish, but this is a legally and socially constructed system that's forcing bees into this category.
What if a bee wanted to identify as a bird? It has wings! Or a mammal? It's furry, after all.

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