‘A win for our rural communities’: USDA grants $6M to clear invasive blue catfish in Chesapeake Bay

By Caroline Zeghibe

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    TILGHMAN ISLAND, Maryland (WBAL) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture granted $6 million to Maryland seafood processors to clear the Chesapeake Bay from invasive blue catfish.

U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-District 1, and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced on Wednesday that the USDA made the funding available for seafood processors to expand operations, transform the Maryland food supply chain and create new markets to process blue catfish.

Additionally, the USDA launched a one-year pilot program to purchase up to $2 million of Chesapeake Bay blue catfish. The effort will support regional processors and provide nutritious protein to families through food banks and other food distributors.

“(This project) is a win for our rural communities … a win for our fishermen who are ridding the Chesapeake of a destructive invasive species, and a win for our local communities who have another source of protein for the charitable feeding network,” Rollins said in a statement. “This is more than just a funding announcement, it is about being able to feed ourselves and opening new markets for our fishermen and producers to continue their livelihoods.”

“I want to thank USDA and Secretary Rollins for making this critical funding available,” Harris said in a statement. “This investment will help us fight back against the invasive blue catfish species that’s threatening our native fisheries and hurting local economies.”

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