ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Beneath the water in the bay, blue catfish are multiplying.
Currently, it’s the most common fish-eating fish in the Chesapeake.
“We now think that these blue catfish are so common they’re outnumbering our native species that you normally think of," said Allison Colden, the Maryland executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Since the blue catfish have arrived and the population exploded, the ecosystem of the bay has been changing.
“Not only do they prey on juveniles of our important commercial species like rock fish, but they’re also competing with rock fish for their prey as well," said Colden.
The solution to this problem is simple – commercial and local fisherman catching and harvesting blue catfish.
“We’re hoping that this could represent a win-win for watermen and others that make their livelihood on the water or enjoy fishing on the Chesapeake Bay," said Colden.
The issue, harvesting catfish is the most time consuming of any fish found in the bay.
“Federal regulations require USDA inspectors to be on site for the harvesting in blue catfish and this is not something that’s in place for any other species that’s harvested from the bay," said Colden.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and other groups are fighting to get this rule overturned. For now, harvesters have to deal with the extra regulations when processing one of the most common fish in the bay.
