Catfish to cat food: The latest effort to put a dent in the Chesapeake Bay’s blue catfish population

Creative solutions to the growing obstacle that blue catfish pose to the Chesapeake Bay aren t new but the latest one may help keep pets full and the bay in better shape There s as of now a bipartisan effort on Capitol Hill that has come up with a new plan in the battle against the blues The Mitigation Action and Watermen Endorsement Act or MAWS Act has been introduced by Maryland Reps Sarah Elfreth and Steny Hoyer alongside Virginia Reps Rob Wittman and Jen Kiggans The bill would create a pilot project that tasks the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration s Chesapeake Bay Office with collecting records that would eventually create a new sector for the Chesapeake Bay blue catfish in the pet food industry Related stories They re everywhere Maryland seeks to reduce supply of tasty invasive blue catfish These fish are everywhere Maryland only wants them on your dinner plate Maryland Gov Moore asks for federal aid to fight off invasive catfish The blue catfish were introduced in the s and they can live up to years and weigh up to pounds reported Atalie Ebersole the senior director of leadership relations for the Pet Food Institute While they re a massive obstacle for the bay they could be a tasty addition to meals enjoyed by household pets cats and dogs alike Ebersole explained catfish is already an approved ingredient in pet foods In the present we are using tons of catfish meal and tons of catfish in pet food she mentioned We can hopefully benefit from this effort to make sure we have good catfish coming into pet food production The blue catfish is among the the bulk unwelcome guests to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries The invasive species chows down on environmentally and economically major native species like blue crabs striped bass and Atlantic menhaden There have been attempts to stem the invasion of the whiskered visitor before In March Maryland Gov Wes Moore sought a federal fisheries tragedy declaration thanks to the damage the big hungry fish were doing The Maryland Department of Tourism has even featured a recipe for Crispy Maryland Blue Catfish encouraging anglers to make a meal of the fish A hearing on the bill is expected on Capitol Hill this month according to Elfreth s office Source