As the Chesapeake Bay states and environmental groups continue to battle the growing invasive blue catfish population, you would think anglers would be encouraged to remove as many blue catfish as they can catch.
In Virginia, however, that hasn’t been true. In the tidal waters of the James, Rappahannock and York rivers along with Lake Gaston and Kerr Reservoir, there is currently a one-fish daily limit on blue catfish larger than 32 inches long. There is no limit on fish under 32 inches.
A new bill introduced in Virginia’s legislature would remove the one-fish limit entirely, bringing Virginia in line with Maryland, where there are no size or creel limits on blue catfish. Del. Shelly Simonds (D-Newport News) introduced a bill, HB 2782, to encourage anglers to get more catfish out of state waters.
Blue catfish were introduced into Virginia rivers and tributaries in the late 1960s and early 1970s by well-intentioned efforts to encourage recreational fishing. Today, they have overrun the delicate Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, thriving in virtually all parts of the Bay. It’s a problem because they’re known to feed on menhaden, striped bass, shad, and blue crabs. Researchers studying the stomach contents of blue cat once found an entire wood duck inside the fish. (Prepare yourself before you watch this video!)
According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, catfish can make up to 75 percent of the total fish weight living in rivers and streams. Now, environmentalists and natural resources managers believe that promoting blue catfish as an appealing eating fish will drive a commercial fishery and remove more blue cat from our waters.
“Blue catfish threaten the delicate balance of wildlife in our rivers but they’re also delicious. This bill is a crucial step towards getting them under control and ensuring the long-term health of our rivers and streams,” Del. Simonds says.
Del. Hillary Pugh Kent (R-Warsaw), who sponsored a similar bill lifting limits for commercial fishermen, calls blue catfish “a delicious and sustainable seafood option.”
Many restaurants are getting on board with promoting blue cat as a good eating fish. Sometimes there is a public perception that catfish are a dirty bottom-feeder. But blue catfish are not bottom feeders and thus do not acquire a muddy taste, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
When we recently ordered blue catfish with sunchokes over polenta at a “hyper seasonal” dining spot, our server pointed out the distinction, saying, “These catfish are apex predators!”
And that’s exactly the reason environmental groups want to fight the blue catfish problem. Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Virginia Executive Director Chris Moore says, “Removing this cap on the blue catfish harvest is another step in the right direction to help mitigate the threat of this invasive species and safeguard the long-term health of the Bay and the livelihoods that depend on it.”
The legislation is currently with the Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources.
Other recent efforts to support the fishery in Virginia include grants for two blue catfish processing plants in the Commonwealth, one in Gloucester County and other in Hampton.
