Endangered Minnow First Fish Ever Taken Off Endangered Species List

A once endangered minnow that makes its home in the Oregon backwaters could become the first fish ever to be taken off the US Endangered Species Act protection list after a re-introduction effort has brought the species back from the brink of extinction.

The Oregon chub spent 21 years on the endangered species list, but on Tuesday the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed taking it off the list. Though there are still steps needed to study the endangered minnow and another nine years on monitoring to ensure that the populations can grow, wildlife officials were optimistic at the development.

“We’re not saying it won’t need management,” Paul Henson, Oregon director of Fish and Wildlife, told The Associated Press. “But they can leave the hospital and get out to be an outpatient.”

The endangered minnow almost disappeared entirely in the late 1980s and early 90s after the marsh lands and beaver ponds where they make their home were drained to control flooding and create farms and cities. At the same time, bass introduced from the East took a toll on the remaining population.

Wildlife officials responded with a concerted effort to protect the chub’s habitat and reintroduce them to the state’s rivers and streams. Officials said the minnow’s small nature — the Oregon chub only grows to about three inches long — made their re-introduction easier. The minnow can live in smaller spaces, and doesn’t get in the way of hydroelectric dams or other major rivers.

While the Oregon chub may become the first fish to be removed from the Endangered Species list, other aquatic animals still face trouble. A report issued last summer found that the endangered green and leatherback turtles are eating more plastic than ever before as oceans fill with waste and other debris. Other marine mammals and fish are being threatened by the growing amount of debris, wildlife experts claim.

But despite the challenging backdrop, the Oregon chub represents a resounding success story. After the population of the endangered minnow fell to 1,000 across eight known locations, wildlife officials said today there are more than 180,000 Oregon chubs living in 80 locations.