The federal government has denied Maryland’s request for a declaration of a federal fisheries disaster caused by invasive blue catfish and snakeheads, the state’s Department of Natural Resouerces announced Thursday.
The DNR announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce denied Gov. Wes Moore’s request from March, which would have given Maryland federal funding to address the threat these invasive species pose to the state’s Chesapeake Bay fisheries, environment, and economy. The federal commerce department ruled that the fish haven’t had sufficient impact on commercial fishery revenues for Maryland to qualify for fisheries disaster aid.
“Invasive blue catfish are voracious predators that feed on native species, including menhaden, striped bass, eel, shad, river herring, and blue crabs. In some Chesapeake Bay tributaries, they make up approximately 75 percent of the total weight of all fish inhabiting the river,” reads a press release from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation announcing the denial.
The DNR is taking steps to mitigate the harm the species can cause, having hired a dedicated program manager to “coordinate strategies across agencies and industries” to reduce the population and impact of all invasive fish in the state. The department is also:
- Increasing blue catfish research and monitoring programs;
- Urging recreational and commercial anglers to increase their harvest of blue catfish and other invasives; and
- Working to educate the public about how invasive fish species affect the Bay ecosystem.
Maryland places no limit on the number of invasive fish anglers can catch and keep, nor are there limits on the size of the fish or times of year they can be caught.
“At the same time, Maryland’s Department of Agriculture (MDA) is ramping up marketing efforts to promote wild-caught Chesapeake blue catfish to chefs, consumers, restaurants, grocery stores and distributors to encourage more people to buy, eat, and sell wild-caught Chesapeake blue catfish,” reads the DNR press release announcing the denial. “The marketing and promotional campaign activities currently focus on media appearances, social media posts, and roadside billboards highlighting the culinary versatility of blue catfish and how eating more of the fish is an important way we can all help watermen, local businesses, and the health of the Bay. MDA also works closely with chefs to attend various events throughout the state to provide demonstrations and samplings of wild-caught Chesapeake blue catfish.”
“We’re disappointed in the decision, but also understand the ruling due to the limits of federal law surrounding fisheries disasters,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to determine what form of federal assistance can help us mitigate the continued and pervasive spread of blue catfish and other invasive species impacting commercial fisheries in the Bay. However, this was just one of several efforts underway to tackle this issue. Maryland is taking proactive steps on its own to limit the spread of blue catfish and other invasive species.”
