A tasty invasive species population has exploded in the Chesapeake Bay area, and Maryland officials are encouraging people to add it to their diet.
According to The BayNet, blue catfish have become a serious problem in Maryland's waters. Once believed to be just a freshwater fish, the species has proved to be resilient enough to inhabit saltwater as well.
The fish was introduced into Virginia's river systems in the 1970s for recreational fishing and to increase the food supply. However, by 2000, they were present in the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent and Potomac Rivers.
In 2024, an estimated 4.7 million blue catfish were harvested from the area, per the publication.
Blue catfish prey on blue crabs, American eels, white perch, and almost anything else they can swallow, reminiscent of other ravenous invasive species, such as American bullfrogs. This harms the native ecosystems of the rivers and bay, depleting resources and pushing out local species.
A 2025 study found that blue catfish consume thousands of pounds of blue crab annually, and they hunt them year-round. They also eat juvenile crabs that have yet to reproduce, further restricting the crab populations.
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Blue crabs are a staple food in Maryland, and more than a third of the country's blue crab supply comes from the Chesapeake Bay. Fishermen rely on them for their livelihood; people rely on them as a food source; the state relies on them as a cultural symbol.
Many other species in these bodies of water also prey on the crabs. When blue catfish hoard them, other species suffer from food shortages.
But there's a silver lining. Since the species are overrunning the rivers and bay, people are strongly encouraged to buy or catch them, and eat them.
Both commercial and recreational fishermen can, potentially by law soon, go all out on reeling them in. It also means fried catfish and other catfish dishes should be on everyone's menu.
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$200 or more 💰 Branson Williams, the invasive fishes program manager and freshwater biologist with the Department of Natural Resources, told The BayNet, "We're fortunate that blue catfish taste good. … They're a mild, white-fleshed fish, and there's definitely a market for them."
Invasive species are destructive and must be mitigated. Thankfully, controlling this species means plenty of fish for everyone, helping the local economy and ecosystems at the same time.
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