The prospect of the Chesapeake Bay surviving and thriving is regularly threatened by events that negatively impact its ecology.
They include, but are not limited to, periodic overflows from wastewater treatments in Baltimore, periodic discharges of silt from the Conowingo Dam, stormwater runoff from farmland, residential, commercial, and industrial properties, and the always unpredictable, naturally recurring changes in weather by season of the year.
The current most serious threat to the Bay’s rich diversity of native inhabitants occurs every day. It is the steadily increasing number of blue catfish. They are an invasive species that first appeared in the Bay over fifty years ago after they were introduced into rivers on Virginia’s Western Shore by recreational fishing enthusiasts. It was expected that they would remain in those rivers, since conventional thinking held that blue catfish prefer a freshwater environment.
Defying expectations, blue catfish migrated to the Chesapeake Bay and adapted to higher salinity levels there. Their numbers in the Bay and beyond continue to expand. They are also in every major tidal river in Maryland.
Blue catfish are voracious predators of native Bay species such as blue crabs, clams, mussels, oysters, striped bass (rockfish), menhaden, American eel, and other critically economically and ecologically important species. After they reach maturity, natural predators for blue catfish are limited to humans, osprey, and bald eagles. Mature blue catfish, other fish, turtles, and raccoons may also eat juvenile blue catfish.
Scientists who study the Bay ecosystem have concluded that completely eradicating blue catfish in the Bay is not realistic. Instead, they suggest a realistic goal is reducing their numbers to a point where native species can coexist with them. They also further suggest a way to achieve that goal is harvesting more blue catfish for public consumption.
To date, that goal has yet to be achieved. In fact, we are far from it.
There are a variety of reasons:
Widespread negative public perceptions that catfish are foul-tasting bottom feeders.
Marketing efforts by Maryland’s Department of Agriculture to promote eating blue catfish to chefs, consumers, restaurants, and grocery stores, that blue catfish are delicious and nutritious, have not made a meaningful increase in public demand.
Unnecessary and cumbersome federal mandates for inspections of freshly harvested blue catfish (the only harvested seafood in Maryland requiring such inspections).
Reluctance by state regulators to revise current regulations that limit the manner of harvesting blue catfish by watermen and waterwomen, and to allow commercial electrofishing, a blue catfish harvesting technique permitted in Virginia.
Less than projected surplus blue catfish caught and sent to seafood processing plants by recreational fishing clients on charter boat excursions.
Winston Churchill once said, “In times of great uncertainty, look for great opportunities.”
Recent news from former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin provides a suggestion for a great opportunity for Maryland.
Youngkin announced his approval of a $3,500 planning grant for an Eastern Shore Hub Opportunity Assessment for two Eastern Shore Virginia counties, Accomack and Northampton, and three Eastern Shore of Virginia towns, Wachapreague, Parksley, and Onancock.
The planning grant will help fund a feasibility study on renovating the former Robert S. Bloxom Shore Agriculture Complex in Accomack County. The complex includes an abandoned 35,411 square-foot building once used for seafood processing, marketing, and storage. One renovation option is turning the property into a blue catfish processing plant.
Now is the time for Maryland to explore funding a grant on the costs and benefits of building new or upgrading existing seafood processing plants in Maryland.
Some may say state funding for such a grant is unrealistic, given the ongoing debates and deliberations in Annapolis over spending cuts to address a state budget deficit.
Maybe so, but there may be another unexpected funding source available for a similar feasibility study in Maryland.
That unexpected source is the Federal government. In a rare display of bipartisanship in Washington, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives approved and sent a bill to President Trump that includes $2 million to address blue catfish in Maryland. The bill is before President Trump for a signature, which should occur, given the Senate vote on the bill was eighty-two yes votes and only eighteen no votes.
Regardless of the final outcome on any federal funding on the Chesapeake Bay, a Maryland version of an Eastern Shore Hub Opportunity is an idea that merits further immediate and serious consideration.
This hub could:
• Generate jobs.
• Generate local tax revenue.
• Generate state tax revenue.
• Help preserve the historical and unique lifestyle of Maryland’s watermen and waterwomen with greater incentive for harvesting blue catfish.
• Increase the markets for the distribution of Maryland blue catfish beyond Maryland.
Most importantly, it is a way for Maryland to help native species in the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland rivers survive and thrive by harvesting and processing more blue catfish.
David Reel is a public affairs consultant and public relations consultant who lives in Easton.
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