PHOENIX— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed stripping Endangered Species Act protections from the Gila chub, an imperiled Arizona fish. Gila chubs are currently protected as endangered and are severely threatened by competition and predation by nonnative fish and habitat loss due to water diversion and withdrawal, livestock grazing and climate change.

In contrast with most removals from the endangered species list, this proposed delisting is not due to the species having recovered.

Instead, officials argued that the Gila chub is the same species as two other closely related fish — the headwater chub and the roundtail chub — both of which are imperiled in their own right but not yet protected. The Service is claiming that all three are considered to be roundtail chub.

“There isn’t consensus regarding the taxonomy of these species and delisting would do nothing to address the threats facing all three of these unique fish species,” said Krista Kemppinen, Ph.D., a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “These chubs and the streams they live in are indispensable parts of Arizona’s incredibly rare aquatic natural heritage. We must not sacrifice them.”

The proposed delisting would also remove protections for 160 stream-miles of critical habitat that currently protect Gila chub waterways. It would also preclude federal consultations and binding guidance to reduce risks from projects that are harmful to chubs and use federal funds or require federal permitting.

The American Fisheries Society, which is the premier professional organization of ichthyologists, lists the Gila chub, roundtail chub and headwater chub as separate species.

“Call the Gila chub whatever you like, but only if you make sure these fish have clean, cool water to swim in,” said Kemppinen. “That means keeping the Gila chub on the endangered list in its own right or as part of a future endangered listing for the roundtail chub. A chub by any other name is still at risk of extinction.”