{"id":20826,"date":"2024-07-19T13:52:06","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T13:52:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.selinawamucii.com\/news\/?p=20826"},"modified":"2024-07-19T13:52:08","modified_gmt":"2024-07-19T13:52:08","slug":"maryland-to-chase-invasive-blue-catfish-onto-dining-tables","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.selinawamucii.com\/news\/2024\/07\/19\/maryland-to-chase-invasive-blue-catfish-onto-dining-tables\/","title":{"rendered":"Maryland to chase invasive blue catfish onto dining tables"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The State of Maryland is encouraging people to consume invasive blue catfish and other species preying on a shrinking striped bass population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you can\u2019t beat \u2018em, eat \u2018em,\u201d<\/u><\/a>\u00a0Branson Williams, Maryland\u2019s Department of Natural Resources (DNR)\u2019 invasive fishes program manager said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Williams\u2019 task is to eradicate blue catfish, flathead catfish and the Northern snakehead, three species multiplying in interior waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to officials, the fish trio accounts by large for the drastic reduction of exotic fish in Maryland.  Yearly harvests of hard blue crab<\/u><\/a>, striped bass and yellow perch, among others, slumped by between 27% and 91% from 2012 to 2023.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The worst of the three invaders is blue catfish, which first came to Chesapeake Bay in the 1970s and rapidly increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snakehead, though less destructive than catfish, is an intimidating monster that averages 12.7 to 21 pounds. Native to China, the species first came to Maryland in 2002 in a Clofton reservoir, west of state capital Annapolis. \u00a0Since then, this fish has invaded both eastern and central rivers including in the populous Montgomery County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now however, it is the edible catfish<\/u><\/a> duo that seems unstoppable by natural means, hence the persuasion to convert it into dinner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blue Catfish Fines & Striped Bass Fishing Restriction<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Maryland is also discouraging the introduction of the trio by imposing a fine of $2,500 on violators who bring them from out-of-state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of this, the state has restricted all striped bass fishing for two weeks from\u00a0July 16 to 31, 2024<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials enforced the temporary ban to protect caught-and-released rock fish (striped bass) which die easily at peak summer heat.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the end of the ban, the striped bass season will continue from August 1 to December 10. During this period, the daily limit is one fish of at least 19 inches long per fisherman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2020 when this fortnight moratorium began, anglers usually take to other species including invasive species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, Maryland\u2019s mid-summer fishing is encouraging anglers to land lots of invasive blue catfish and snakehead on their dinner tables. Speaking of which, below is extra information on the state\u2019s invasive fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maryland Invasive Fish Statistics<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), blue and flathead catfish, Northern Snakehead, and zebra mussels are Maryland\u2019s most invasive fish. The state records the biggest specimen of each in various years, starting with an 84-pound blue catfish in 2012. In 2020, fishermen also captured a\u00a057-pound<\/u><\/a>\u00a0flathead catfish in Maryland. The other record is a 21-pound Northern snakehead in 2023. \u00a0In March 2023, Maryland\u2019s governor, Wes Moore, advised federal authorities to declare a fisheries disaster due to the invasion. The governor stated that the population of exotic fish have plummeted by between\u00a027 and 91%<\/u><\/a>\u00a0from 2012 to 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it legal to possess invasive fish species in Maryland<\/strong>? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though it is legal to possess one for dinner, it is illegal to migrate the live fish into Maryland\u2019s waters. According to e-regulations of the state, migrating a snakehead is punishable with $2,500 per fish and\u00a0$25,000\u00a0<\/u><\/a>per incident. The same applies to those who introduce live catfish to a different water body from its original habitat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many fish does Maryland catch each year<\/strong>? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Maryland caught\u00a033,351,584 pounds<\/u><\/a>\u00a0(15,128 tonnes) of fish in 2022. These commercial landings were worth $78,587,904. In comparison, in 1970 when the invasive blue catfish first came into the state, catches amounted to double 2022\u2019s volume. Indeed, 1970\u2019s landings stood at 79,896,700 pounds (36,241 tonnes) worth\u00a0$18,565,994<\/u><\/a>\u00a0(at the 1970 unadjusted inflation rate).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The State of Maryland is encouraging people to consume invasive blue catfish and other species preying on a shrinking striped bass population. \u201cIf you can\u2019t beat \u2018em, eat \u2018em,\u201d\u00a0Branson Williams, Maryland\u2019s Department of Natural Resources (DNR)\u2019 invasive fishes program manager said. Williams\u2019 task is to eradicate blue catfish, flathead catfish and the Northern snakehead, three…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":20827,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nMaryland to chase invasive blue catfish onto dining tables - Selina Wamucii | Food & Agriculture News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.selinawamucii.com\/news\/2024\/07\/19\/maryland-to-chase-invasive-blue-catfish-onto-dining-tables\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Maryland to chase invasive blue catfish onto dining tables - Selina Wamucii | Food & Agriculture News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The State of Maryland is encouraging people to consume invasive blue catfish and other species preying on a shrinking striped bass population. \u201cIf you can\u2019t beat \u2018em, eat \u2018em,\u201d\u00a0Branson Williams, Maryland\u2019s Department of Natural Resources (DNR)\u2019 invasive fishes program manager said. 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