The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is delisting 21 species from the Endangered Species Act due to extinction, including the San Marcos gambusia, a fish that was endemic to the San Marcos River.
Based on rigorous reviews of the best available science for each of these species, the Service determined these species are extinct and should be removed from the list of species protected under the ESA.
Most of these species were listed under the ESA in the 1970s and 80s and were in very low numbers or likely already extinct at the time of listing.
“Federal protection came too late to reverse these species’ decline, and it’s a wake-up call on the importance of conserving imperiled species before it’s too late,” said Service Director Martha Williams. “As we commemorate 50 years of the Endangered Species Act this year, we are reminded of the Act’s purpose to be a safety net that stops the journey toward extinction. The ultimate goal is to recover these species, so they no longer need the Act’s protection.”
When the San Marcos gambusia was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1980, the fish was considered extremely rare. Since the time of listing, several federal, state and local organizations have conducted a series of focused efforts to try and find the fish in the San Marcos River. Despite these attempts, no individuals have been seen in the wild since 1983.
In September 2021, the Service proposed delisting 23 species from the ESA due to extinction. Following public comment on the proposed rule, the Service is withdrawing the delisting proposal for one species– Phyllostegia glabra var. lanaiensis (a Hawaiian perennial herb in the mint family that has no common name)–due to new surveys identifying new, potentially suitable habitats for the species. Although the delisting proposal included the ivory-billed woodpecker, the Service will continue to analyze and review the information before deciding whether to delist the ivory-billed woodpecker.
The 21 species extinctions highlight the importance of the ESA and efforts to conserve species before declines become irreversible. The circumstances of each also underscore how human activity can drive species decline and extinction by contributing to habitat loss, overuse, and the introduction of invasive species and diseases.
Today’s announcement comes as the ESA turns 50 years old in 2023. Throughout the year, the Department of the Interior will celebrate the ESA's importance in preventing imperiled species’ extinction, promoting wildlife recovery, and conserving the habitats they depend on. The ESA has been highly effective and credited with saving 99% of listed species from extinction. Thus far, more than 100 species of plants and animals have been delisted based on recovery or reclassified from endangered to threatened based on improved conservation status, and hundreds more species are stable or improving thanks to the collaborative actions of Tribes, federal agencies, state and local governments, conservation organizations and private citizens.
The final rule to delist 21 species from the ESA due to extinction will publish in the Federal Register on Tuesday, Oct. 17 and is effective 30 days after publication.
