Society

Los Angeles Fires: Trump Uses an Endangered Fish as a “Scapegoat”


U.S. President Donald Trump sparked widespread controversy after blaming environmental efforts to protect the Delta Smelt, referred to as the “Doomsday Fish,” for exacerbating the wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles for more than two weeks.

He made his remarks on his “Truth Social” platform, later formalizing them in a presidential decree signed upon his return to the White House. Trump demanded that “citizens be prioritized over fish” and called for an end to what he described as “environmental extremism” in California.

These statements drew sharp criticism from the scientific community, with experts affirming that the relationship between the Delta Smelt and Los Angeles’ water supply is extremely limited.

John Buse, a biodiversity legal advisor, stated that Trump is attempting to scapegoat a vulnerable creature for complex crises. “This is an attempt to shift blame for worsening issues, like fires and droughts, onto a small fish,” he said.

Experts agree that California faces a multi-faceted water crisis caused by climate change, drought, and urban sprawl—not fish protection measures.

According to Professor Peter Moyle, an aquatic species specialist at the University of California, Davis, the Delta Smelt was once abundant, but habitat degradation due to agricultural activities and pollution led to its classification as endangered in 1993. While water pumping from the north to the south affects its habitat, redirecting water currents to protect it has minimal impact on Los Angeles’ water supply or fire management.

Official data reviewed by AFP revealed rising water levels in the state’s main southern reservoirs during January.

Sociologist Caleb Scoville from Tufts University noted that the Delta Smelt has become an easy target for some conservatives due to its small size and limited public awareness. This has turned California’s water management debate into a national political issue.

Instead of addressing the real causes of the water crisis, such as global warming and climate change, Trump chose to politicize the matter, disregarding the critical role of rainfall and snowmelt in determining water flow volumes.

Trump had previously withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement, a move that drew widespread criticism and was considered a setback in the fight against climate change.

A giant fish, referred to as the “Doomsday Fish,” appeared on Mexico’s shores with an injured tail. This fish can grow up to 11 meters in length and weigh over 200 kilograms. This was the first sighting of its kind in 2025, although another specimen was spotted in California a month before a magnitude 7.0 earthquake last year. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography also documented images of this fish.

In December, a major earthquake shook California, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning. The fish is often associated with a Japanese legend that considers it a harbinger of earthquakes and natural disasters.

 

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