Prospects for Recovering Endemic Fishes Pursuant to the U.S. Endangered Species Act

Abstract

Abstract If the success of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is measured by the number of endangered species that have been recovered and delisted, then the act is not very successful. Only 15 species have been delisted because of recovery in the history of the ESA. The Borax Lake chub (Gila boraxobius), an endangered species restricted to an Oregon spring system, is considered to be on the brink of recovery and may warrant future delisting. A panel of scientists was convened to determine consensus regarding the species' listing status by reviewing: (1) current habitat conditions, (2) implementation of the recovery plan, and (3) applicability of ESA listing factors. Despite substantial progress towards recovery, threats to the species remain, including habitat degradation and the potential introduction of nonnative species. These are problems common to many fishes of highly restricted distribution. Because the Borax Lake chub occurs in a single spring system, the species remains vulnerable to catastrophic ...