Governor Wes Moore formally asked U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to declare a federal fisheries disaster as invasive catfish and snakeheads threaten the Chesapeake Bay.
Following the request, the Department of Commerce will start a formal review process. The review will determine whether federal funding will be used to address the ecological and economic impact of the invasive species on the Chesapeake Bay.
Allison Colden, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) Maryland Senior Fisheries Scientist, said the decision is a critical step towards addressing the invasive species problem.
“Federal support would help implement key programs to target harvest of blue catfish and other invasive species to mitigate their ecological damage, while supporting Maryland watermen who have been most affected by negative impacts on native fish species,” Colden said in a press release.“This action will hopefully complement regulatory reforms up for debate in the next Farm Bill, which would remove catfish processing requirements that have so far hamstrung efforts to increase catfish harvest.”
Blue and flathead catfish were introduced in the 1970s to develop a recreational fishery in Virginia. The fish have since entered nearly every Chesapeake Bay tributary, according to the CBF. The blue catfish is able to tolerate many salinities, temperatures and habitats, allowing them to easily move throughout the Bay.
The catfish prey on native species such as striped bass, eel, shad, river herring, menhaden and blue crabs. In areas of the Bay where catfish populations are established, they make up about 75% of the total weight of all fish inhabiting the river.
Snakeheads have entered local freshwater areas of the Bay ever since 2004. Snakeheads prey on freshwater species, such as largemouth fish and perch.
“We applaud the Moore-Miller administration for their leadership in addressing this critical issue affecting the Bay’s ecosystem, watermen, and working waterfront communities,” Colden said in a press release.
(Photo by Ben Schumin on Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) | https://www.flickr.com/photos/schuminweb/50982776857)
