The US Fish and Wildlife Service says it will conduct a status review, which typically takes a year, to determine if the monarch butterfly should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. It says a petition from environmental groups presents substantial information that a listing “may be warranted.” The agency will accept scientific and commercial data and other information in a public comment period ending on March 2. Some estimates say monarch butterfly populations have fallen by 90 percent.
“Monarch butterflies are found throughout the United States and some populations migrate vast distances across multiple generations each year. Many monarchs fly between the U.S., Mexico and Canada – a journey of over 3,000 miles,” says Fish and Wildlife. “This journey has become more perilous for many monarchs because of threats along their migratory paths and on their breeding and wintering grounds. Threats include habitat loss – particularly the loss of milkweed, the monarch caterpillar’s sole food source – and mortality resulting from pesticide use. Monarch populations have declined significantly in recent years.”
Some groups blame the popularity of pesticide-tolerant GMO corn and soybeans for the decline in monarch populations.