Maryland’s governor seeks disaster aid for Chesapeake Bay
Moore wants federal funding to help stem increase of invasive fish
WASHINGTON — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore asked the federal government to declare the increasing population of invasive fish species in the Chesapeake Bay an ongoing commercial fishery disaster.
“In recent years, the state has become increasingly concerned about the explosion in the abundance of invasive fish species in the Chesapeake Bay, including blue catfish, flathead catfish, and snakehead,” Moore said in a statement last week. “It is critical to act now to mitigate the effects of these invasive species and to provide assistance to the commercial fishing industry.”
In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the governor said “blue catfish are a particular concern.”
“They are voracious eaters,” Moore wrote. “They consume other fish, crustaceans, and even other catfish. They out-compete the native species for both habitats and food and threaten key commercial fisheries including blue crab, striped bass, white perch, yellow perch, and American eel.”
For the fourth consecutive year, the Maryland
Department of Natural Resources found in its 2022 annual survey that the native juvenile striped bass population in the Chesapeake Bay was below average.
Since 2012, the total catch of seven of Maryland’s commercial fishery species that share their habitat with invasive fish has declined between 27% and 91%, according to state data.
If the federal government were to declare this a disaster, Maryland would qualify for federal fishery disaster assistance. The request begins a formal review process by the Department of Commerce.
Under two federal statutes, governors may request federal assistance if a natural or manmade disaster decreases fish populations, resulting in economic losses.
The decline of native fish species and the increase of invasive species has had detrimental effects on the state’s commercial fisheries, impacting the state’s economy.
Commercial fisheries — including hard blue crab, striped bass, yellow perch, and others — have brought in an average of $64 million yearly in dockside value since 2012. Declines in these species are a significant loss for Maryland’s commercial watermen and the state’s economy, according to data from the state.
Blue and flathead catfish were first introduced in Virginia in the 1970s and 1980s to establish recreational fisheries. Since then, their numbers have grown out of control. Now, these invasive catfish can be found in nearly every Chesapeake Bay tributary, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
One possible approach is to incentivize watermen to catch blue catfish. Joseph Love, manager for the Maryland Department of Resources Freshwater Fisheries Program, said the Maryland Department of Natural Resources offered money to watermen to buy nets and traps. There has also been discussion of further action to create a stronger demand in the market for the abundant blue catfish.
“If we can find additional uses for blue catfish within our society, then that helps to diversify the marketplace and gives watermen greater opportunity … to sell their product and thereby increase the price per pound that they get,” Love said.