It took nearly 11 years, but the Fish and Wildlife Service has concluded that two unassuming species of fish found in the Rio Grande basin do not warrant federal protections.
Capping a long and litigated journey in which a federal judge had to cut the agency some slack, the Fish and Wildlife Service determined that neither the Rio Grande chub nor the Rio Grande sucker meet the Endangered Species Act criteria for listing as threatened or endangered species.
“After completing status reviews for each species; and consulting with scientists, state agencies, species experts and others, the Service concluded that neither species is in danger of extinction or likely to become in danger of extinction,” the FWS said in a statement. Even without ESA protections, the FWS noted that a 10-year conservation agreement signed in 2018 commits federal agencies, tribes, states and others to long-term management actions designed to support the two species and the habitat both require.
The Rio Grande chub lives primarily in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. The Rio Grande sucker inhabits the Rio Grande and its tributaries in southern Colorado, New Mexico and Mexico. Though neither is a particularly prominent species, they have previously received some high-level attention.
