In case you didn’t know, bees are fish — literally, and legally.
On Tuesday, a California court ruled that the insects legally fit under the umbrella definition of “fish” when it comes to the Golden State’s homegrown Endangered Species Act (CESA).
The ruling came after the California Fish and Game Commission moved to protect four different bumblebee species by designating them as endangered or threatened. However, certain farmers and growers sued to prevent such legal protections on grounds that the designation couldn’t apply to insects.
The commission was able to counter, “saying that the definition of fish can and should encapsulate bees and other similarly situated invertebrates because, in part, it already does in practice. At least one species of shrimp, snail and crayfish are listed under the CESA,” Law & Crime reports.
So there you have it: bees are fish.