Blue catfish harvested from the Nanticoke River and Marshyhope Creek as part of the 2022 Sharptown Catfish Tournament, where anglers removed nearly 1,000 pounds of catfish. Photo by Stephen Badger, DNR
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is launching two pilot programs in coordination with its Invasive Catfish Advisory Committee aimed at curbing the spread of blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
Applications are now open for the Blue Catfish For-Hire/Commercial and Mid- and Lower-Bay Finfish Trotline Pilot Programs. Commercial watermen and charter boat captains can apply to participate through online forms on the DNR website.
“The silver lining to the challenges blue catfish pose in the Chesapeake Bay is they taste great,” said DNR Invasive Fishes Program Manager Branson Williams. “These pilot programs aim to reduce barriers for commercial fishermen to catch and sell more blue catfish. Our goal is to reduce biomass, and these programs will help with those efforts.”
Blue catfish – Ictalurus furcatus – are problematic due to their voracious and indiscriminate appetites, high reproductive rate, and potential to harm native species, some of which are commercially and recreationally important to Maryland, including blue crabs.
The pilot programs are part of a larger effort by the department to mitigate the negative impact blue catfish have on native species and ecosystems. Other initiatives include incentivizing charter captains to gather harvest data on their catfish and Chesapeake Channa (northern snakehead) trips, supporting invasive species tournaments, and working with stakeholders and other agencies to increase removals. There is no season or limit on recreational blue catfishing for anglers holding the appropriate Maryland fishing license.
Details of the two new programs are below.
Blue Catfish For-Hire/Commercial Pilot Program
The Blue Catfish Charter Pilot Program allows participants to run for-hire and…
