Biden’s Mussel Policy Threatens Abbott’s Marine Buoys
The Biden administration has proposed federal protection for two freshwater mussel species found in the Rio Grande, the same area where Texas Governor Greg Abbott has installed a floating barrier to prevent migrants from crossing the river. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to list the Salina mucket and Mexican fawnsfoot mussels as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and is also proposing to designate critical habitat for them. The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Texas, asking the court to force the state to remove the barrier due to humanitarian and environmental concerns. The lawsuit claims that Texas unlawfully installed the barrier without permission. If the mussels are declared endangered, it could require Abbott to remove the floating barrier and prevent Texas from deploying more buoys in the river, which would be considered critical habitat. The declining populations of these mussels have been a concern for over 30 years, and the Fish and Wildlife Service found that the Rio Grande is the only place in the world where they exist. Despite the legal action, Abbott has refused to remove the barrier and has threatened legal action against the Biden administration.
