Devil's River Minnow - Species Status

Species Status

The Devils River Minnow is classified as vulnerable in the United States and endangered in Mexico. Both of these groupings then fall under the umbrella of the threatened category according to the Red List of Threatened Species compiled by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Threatened is defined as any species that is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. This species was first registered in this class in 1999, although many activists pushed for it to be included as early as 1978. Many conservationists also insist that vulnerable is too weak of a categorization, as no formal habitat protections are included. Even the current recovery plan approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2005 only involves voluntary conservation efforts. This is proving to be problematic, as most waters containing the fish are privately owned and the highest priority of the corporation owners is maintaining the agricultural businesses located there. These industries are also responsible for harmful practices that lead to the destruction of the Devils River Minnows’ habitat.