Federal Protection Sought for Iconic Pollinators 'In Deadly Free Fall'

A monarch butterfly enjoys some milkweed. (Photo: David Levinson)

Federal Protection Sought for Iconic Pollinators 'In Deadly Free Fall'

Groups urge Endangered Species Act protection for monarchs suffering from assualt as a result of genetically engineered crops dominating Corn Belt

The alarming decline of the monarch butterfly population necessitates federal action to save the iconic orange and black pollinators.

Such is the urging of the Center for Biological Diversity and Center for Food Safety, joined by the Xerces Society and monarch expert Dr. Lincoln Brower, who sent a petition (pdf) Tuesday to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the butterflies.

Over the last two decades, the groups say, population has plummeted by more than 90 percent. To put that "staggering" figure in perspective, Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, said that "in human-population terms it would be like losing every living person in the United States except those in Florida and Ohio."

The request for federal protection follows stacking evidence against corporate agriculture for its role in these declining numbers. A primary threat to the pollinators, the petition states, is widespread plantings in the Midwest of genetically modified crops and the herbicides used on them, which are wiping out the monarch's larval food, milkweed.

"In the Midwest, nearly ubiquitous adoption of, glyphosate-resistant 'Roundup Ready' corn and soybeans has caused a precipitous decline of common milkweed, and thus of monarchs, which lay their eggs only on milkweeds. The majority of the world's monarchs originate in the Corn Belt region of the United States where milkweed loss has been severe, and the threat that this habitat loss poses to the resiliency, redundancy, and representation of the monarch cannot be overstated," the petition reads.

Brower, who has been studying monarchs for six decades, said we need to take action before it is too late.

"Monarchs are in a deadly free fall and the threats they face are now so large in scale that Endangered Species Act protection is needed sooner rather than later, while there is still time to reverse the severe decline in the heart of their range."

"The monarch is the canary in the cornfield, a harbinger of environmental change that we've brought about on such a broad scale that many species of pollinators are now at risk if we don't take action to protect them," Brower warned.

Join Us: News for people demanding a better world


Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place.

We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference.

Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today!

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.