New York updates list of vulnerable fish species

Several Adirondack fish species are on the list, including lake whitefish and burbot

By Mike Lynch

The state Department of Environmental Conservation updated its list of endangered, threatened, and special concern fish species on Wednesday. 

The update impacts several Adirondack species including the round whitefish, which has been downgraded from endangered to threatened due to restoration efforts, according to the DEC.

Two other Adirondack species – the lake whitefish and burbot –  have gone from unlisted to the species of special concern due to threats like climate change, which has caused warming waters in their native habitats. 

The updates are the first in a series of rulemakings DEC is making to update the overall threatened and endangered species list over the next two years. 

“Protecting the most vulnerable fish and amphibian species is paramount to ensuring long-term biodiversity and preserving New York’s natural resources,” said Acting DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton. 

Revisions planned in coming months include amphibians and reptiles, invertebrates, birds, and mammals.

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The changes were first proposed in August 2024. DEC received more than 1,300 individual comments to the proposal, stating that “the response to the changes were overwhelmingly positive.”  

This update also includes animal species recently classified under the federal Endangered Species Act.

DEC said its staff reviewed all comments and revisited the available data to come to a final decision for this list revision.

The changes to the list – the first update since 1999 – can be found on DEC’s website.

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