“As we see invasive blue catfish impact our keystone species more and more, it’s becoming more relevant because it’s impacting the things we really care about and love, and what our economy is based on here in Maryland.”
— Representative Sarah Elfreth, Congresswoman for Maryland’s Third District
The latest Chesapeake Bay Trust Speaker Series gathered experts from across the fishing industry, invasive species science and policy realms, and culinary world to delve into the complicated question of the invasive blue catfish explosion. Panelists featured:
Blue Catfish: A History of these Invasive Predators
Blue catfish, which are originally native to the Mississippi Delta of the United States, have been causing catastrophic damage to the Chesapeake Bay. They were first introduced in Virginia in the 1970s and ‘80s in the upper regions of the James River, one of Virginia’s title tributaries, with the intent to support recreational fishing opportunities in the area.
However, the decision was a case of “good intentions with devastating consequences,” as Dr. Allison Colden, Maryland Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, explained on the panel. We’ve learned in the past few decades that unlike other freshwater catfish species, blue catfish can withstand the saltier brackish waters of the lower rivers and can even travel into the Bay itself, harming important species along the way.
“From rockfish to blue crabs to razor clams, [blue catfish] like to eat, they like to eat a lot, and there are a lot of them,” said Dr. Colden. “One study in the James River found that in just a 12 kilometer area, blue catfish are consuming more than 2 million blue crabs per year. That’s just one section of one river in one state, so if you multiply that up, you can just imagine some of the devastation we’re looking at in the Bay.”
Sticky Situations: Fishing Conditions, Supply Chain Issues, and Policy Workarounds
Blue catfish aren’t just damaging important ecosystems but are also affecting the livelihoods of recreational and commercial businesses. Their humongous appetites compete with crabbers, clammers, and other watermen. But because of the sheer volume of fish in the bay, they’re a low value species, said Representative Sarah Elfreth, Congresswoman for Maryland’s third district.
“Our watermen are getting eight cents a pound for blue catfish right now, and they would need about 40 cents a pound to break even,” Elfreth said.
On the processing side, more hurdles prevent blue catfish from smoothly sailing to market. In the 2008 Farm Bill, which is reviewed every few years, an added provision requires additional United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspections for processed catfish.
“Where the blue catfish is native, the Mississippi Gulf area, is a very robust catfish farming industry. They have a strong interest in maintaining a US market share for farmed catfish against competition from foreign competitors,” said Dr. Colden. “The goal [of the provision] was to protect that market share and make the inspection process more difficult for folks who were not part of that US farmed catfish industry.”
While the intentions were good in terms of supporting US markets, the catfish caught here in the Chesapeake Bay and its processers have gotten caught up in the regulations, Dr. Colden continued. Unlike blue catfish, all other seafood inspections are carried out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“What this means is that the processers who are processing our wild-caught catfish in the Chesapeake Bay region have to completely shut down their operations, get things scrubbed, and bring in USDA inspectors because this is the only species of seafood in Maryland that requires USDA inspection,” Dr. Colden said. “It has been recognized that this has been causing inefficiencies and also difficulties for our processors and watermen.”
“Malicious, but Delicious and Nutritious!”
One way to incentivize commercial watermen to get these predators out of the water is to increase consumer demand in the market.
Not only does blue catfish taste good and provide health benefits from Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin D, potassium, and unsaturated fat, you can do near anything with it, said Zack Mills, Chef and Partner at the True Chesapeake Oyster Company.
“It’ll grill, it’ll fry, it’ll pan sear. You can grind it into meatballs, burgers, anything. It’s a very versatile fish,” Chef Mills said.
Matthew Scales, Seafood Marketing Director at the Maryland Department of Agriculture, has also been on a mission to market blue catfish. His team tables at events, boat shows, and marketing expos, hiring chefs to cook blue catfish and motivate grocery stores and restaurants to include blue catfish on shelves and menus.
“To get volume out, we also need to get it into institutions,” Scales said.
In 2020, the State of Maryland created the Certified Local Farm and Fish Program to encourage state agencies to purchase 20% local Maryland product, which includes invasive species like blue catfish.
“That includes prison systems, hospitals, and schools. Blue catfish should be in every single school district in the State of Maryland, and that’s what we’re working on.”
“To really represent Maryland as a chef, we should be representing Maryland, and that means eating as much blue catfish as possible,” said Chef Mills, whose restaurant is located right on Jones Falls in Baltimore City. “Our guests come for blue catfish and snakehead… things we think are not only delicious but are also making the environment better.”
Solutions to move forward?
Recent years have seen attempts to move policy forward and address the blue catfish issue. One example is the recent request to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to declare a federal fisheries disaster on behalf of the Bay’s native species. While this request was denied, it generated both statewide and federal attention for the problem.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has also recently created an Invasive Catfish Advisory Committee, on which Dr. Colden serves, and important legislation has been moving its way through the general assembly relating to blue catfish harvest.
As the discussion came to a close, panelists had suggestions ready to tackle the problem moving forward.
“Public engagement is key,” said Minister Brian Bordley, CEO of ONE More… ONE Less Mentoring, a nonprofit pioneering the integration of mental health wellness with environmental conservation. “What we do know is that we don’t have enough minority buy-in on the commercial side of this. We have many demographic groups that could have access to this fish that would not only heal food insecurity but also give encouragement to workforce development.”
“I want to work with public consumers and processors. What do they need? How can we help them? How can we drive up demand?” said Scales.
“Have a strategy. Government is at its worst when we operate in silos, and we can be a lot better about breaking down those silos… and bringing everyone together to discuss how to holistically approach the problem,” said Representative Elfreth.
“It’s extremely important to engage with the farm catfish group and lobby. They’re going to understand the needs and difficulties of being a working seafood industry. There is common ground here, and there’s an incredible opportunity to continue these conversations,” said Dr. Colden.
The Chesapeake Bay Trust
The Chesapeake Bay Trust is proud to support community organizations and grantees like ONE More… ONE Less Mentoring working to address the blue catfish problem.
- To learn more about grants and opportunities supporting community programs, click here: Grants and Opportunities
- To learn more about the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s impact across the Chesapeake Bay region, click here: Annual Report
