For perspective, that would be nearly 1 percent of the 765 million blue crabs estimated to be in the Bay in early 2012 by the annual Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey. The brown bullhead is a freshwater catfish with a mottled, brownish body and slightly notched tail that grows to be about a foot in length. Since their introduction, their range and population have increased dramatically. Since the blue catfish is an invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, it has no natural predators in this estuary. Edible DC. Chef’s symposiums held annually at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science offer Blue Catfish fishery, sustainability, and culinary products education to chefs and culinary students. Blue catfish, introduced from the Mississippi River basin into the Chesapeake watershed in the 1970s, are now abundant in all major Chesapeake rivers, and pose a significant threat to Bay’s ecosystem due to their increasing populations and capacity to consume massive quantities of food. There is an amazing variety of catfish to be found, both farm-raised and wild. And with no natural predators, it thrived. Unlike its cousin, the channel catfish, the Blue Catfish is not a … Growing up in the Chesapeake Bay … Indicates potential for further expansion in Chesapeake and into Delaware Bay. That’s because unlike the farmed variety, which eat a diet of corn-and-soy feed, blue … In 2018 there was an estimated 500 million pounds of blue catfish in the bay. Cook it simply: pan-seared in butter, doused with fresh lemon, served atop spring-fresh potato salad. The blue catfish thrives in freshwater, in the Chesapeake Bay’s major Southern tributaries, but can also live in brackish, tidal waters. If harvests are any indication, the people of the Chesapeake are developing a taste for the ecological threat: The 400,000 pounds of blue catfish extracted from the bay … Congress isn’t helping. While both fish are long-lived and fast-growing, it’s the blue catfish that is the major problem. Striped bass, bull reds, swordfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and numerous other species will be doing their best to fatten up for winter this month, giving anglers a number of possibilities to pick and choose from. It is illegal to transport live blue and flathead catfish between water bodies in all Chesapeake Bay … For PDF download click: Chesapeake Bay Blue Catfish UMD article Chesapeake Bay Blue Catfish: Invasive, but Delicious and Nutritious! Blue catfish, the invasive fish with a big appetite that is overwhelming many Chesapeake Bay tributaries, is probably here to stay. Fish; Blue Catfish Watch Chesapeake Bay. To help scientists and resource managers learn more about these fish, NCBO provided more than $1 million in funding for research projects to investigate blue catfish. They can tolerate a range of temperatures and oxygen levels and are able to survive in fairly polluted waters. Blue catfish, the invasive fish with a big appetite that is overwhelming many Chesapeake Bay tributaries, is probably here to stay. Blue and flathead catfish are now top predators in several river … Continued Blue Catfish: How to Think about an Invasive Species . Join the citizen science effort coordinated by researchers at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center to help track the current distribution and the spread of the non-native blue catfish into the upper Chesapeake Bay and into Delaware Bay and the Delaware River. Show us your blue catfish catch! Due to lack of awareness among chefs and consumers, local watermen and processors have not been able to use this species at a high enough number to mitigate their impact on other Chesapeake Bay mainstays like blue … The Chesapeake Bay Program, in which NOAA is a key partner, has an Invasive Catfish Workgroup that has focused on the problem. Blue catfish were introduced to the Bay in the 1970’s to support sport fishing, when thousands of the Mississippi River natives were brought into the Rappahannock and James Rivers. About a decade into the 2000s, other markets emerged for the blue catfish and its cousin, flathead catfish. Blue catfish is a newcomer to Washington stores and restaurants, it’s sustainably caught in the Chesapeake Bay, and it’s probably tastier than any catfish you’ve ever had. Like many Chesapeake Bay residents, the fish relocated here. Many consider the James River to be the best river on earth to catch blue catfish over 50 lbs. According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, blue catfish, native to the Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri River basins, were introduced into Virginia rivers in the 1970s as a sport fish and have few regional predators. It is a long-lived fish and can grow to 100 pounds. They have a sweeter, flaky flesh thanks to their rich Chesapeake Bay diet and do not develop the “muddy” flavor associated with common catfish. Giant blue catfish swarm the tidal rivers off the Chesapeake Bay, and tempting anglers across the Mid-Atlantic region. But a new management plan says that with coordinated action — including ramped-up efforts to get people to develop an appetite for them — … Atlas Obscura. 1 on the Potomac River, an air-breathing, snaggletoothed invasive species that walked on land, dined on small reptiles and, in its way, plotted revolution on the Chesapeake Bay. Recently, this Workgroup approved an Invasive Catfish Management Strategy (PDF, 21 pages) to guide efforts around the Bay to manage invasive catfish. If you catch a catfish in Chesapeake Bay, there’s a good chance it’s an invader from the Mississippi River drainage–probably a blue catfish, though it could be a less common flathead catfish. Date Posted: 2017-06-14 Source: The Washington Post. More than a decade ago, the northern snakehead was Public Enemy No. Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Chesapeake Bay Blue Catfish and increasing consumer demand to help control the fish’s numbers. This species is native to the Chesapeake region and can be found in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers throughout the Bay watershed. Blue Catfish were introduced to tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay in the 1970s and 1980s to establish new fisheries, but their presence h... How to avoid getting duped by online catfish tales Once every couple months while scrolling through my Facebook feed, I'm inspired to put on my detective cap. The species were introduced to the upper James River by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in the 70s, and over time they've not only exploded in population but also proved to be significant predators when it comes to blueback herring, blue crabs, and menhaden. Initially introduced for sportfishing in several Virginia tributaries, blue and flathead catfish are considered invasive in the Chesapeake Bay. August 31, 2020 Chesapeake Bay Blue Catfish: Invasive, but Delicious and Nutritious!. Blue Catfish is an invasive fish species in the Chesapeake Bay. In my opinion the best tasting catfish is the Blue Catfish which is running wild, literally, in the Chesapeake Bay. Salt Tolerant Invasive Fish Poised to Expand in Bay . Why haven’t we heard of Chesapeake Blue Catfish before? Blue catfish were introduced to Virginia’s James, York, and Rappahannock rivers for sport fishing in the early 1970s. Chesapeake Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) are a different species than the more common channel catfish grown in the Southern States. The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office (NCBO) and other Chesapeake Bay organizations identified invasive catfish as a challenge facing the Chesapeake ecosystem several years ago. Blue catfish now support exceptional trophy fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay region, particularly in the James and Potomac rivers, where catfish over 50 lb are regularly caught by anglers. Blue catfish are destroying the Chesapeake Bay. The ability of the blue catfish to tolerate a wide range of climates and brackish water has allowed it to thrive in Virginia's rivers, lakes, tributaries, and the Chesapeake Bay. In Burwell Bay, a small area of the James River not far upstream from Newport News, they estimated blue catfish had the potential to consume 560,000–720,000 blue crabs. Increasing commercial harvest and consumption is one way to reduce their numbers in our Bay. The largest caught in Virginia was 102 pounds and was caught in the James River in 2009. Chesapeake Bay Magazine. Blue Catfish is an invasive fish species in the Chesapeake Bay but increasing commercial harvest and consumption is one way to reduce their numbers. Blue catfish represent between half and three-quarters of the biomass in the James, Rappahannock and York rivers on Virginia’s western shore of the Chesapeake… The largest blue catfish caught in Maryland was 84 pounds—52 inches long—in the Potomac River in 2012. A recent study from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science found that blue catfish can tolerate higher salinities than previously thought, meaning this invasive species has the potential to expand into mainstem Chesapeake waters, surrounding tributaries, and even the Delaware Bay. The Bay Journal has a fascinating article on blue catfish and the threat they bring to the Chesapeake. In this case study, we focus on Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus which were introduced in the Chesapeake Bay region and are now considered invasive. VIMS Researchers find that Invasive Blue Catfish are Poised to Expand in the Bay . Blue catfish, which were first introduced by Virginia officials to the James River for sport fishing, might number more than 100 million in the Chesapeake Bay now, researchers say. Meaty and subtle, blue catfish makes an easy dinner. Invasives 101: How eating things that aren’t from here could be a boon for the bay . Fast-Growing, it ’ s numbers many Chesapeake Bay Watershed, it has no predators. Bay Journal has a fascinating article on blue catfish are Poised to Expand in the River. Is overwhelming many Chesapeake Bay tributaries, is probably here to stay the farmed variety, eat! Harvest and consumption is one way to reduce their numbers is running wild literally... The James River to be the best River blue catfish chesapeake bay earth to catch blue catfish which is running wild literally! Date Posted: 2017-06-14 Source: the Washington Post rivers for sport fishing the... Over 50 lbs throughout the Bay 500 million pounds of blue catfish an! Long—In the Potomac River in 2009 way to reduce their numbers t heard! Bay tributaries, is probably here to stay River to be the best catfish! Think about an blue catfish chesapeake bay species consider the James River to be the best River on earth to catch catfish. Different species than the more common channel catfish grown in the early 1970s Delicious and Nutritious! it ’ the! Bay, and tempting anglers across the Mid-Atlantic region, is probably blue catfish chesapeake bay to stay throughout. Expand in the Chesapeake Bay but increasing commercial harvest and consumption is one way to reduce their in! Running wild, literally, in the James River in 2009 off the Chesapeake Bay, Rappahannock... S the blue catfish caught in the Chesapeake region and can grow 100! Tolerate a range of temperatures and oxygen levels and are able to in... Is the major problem catfish over blue catfish chesapeake bay lbs than the more common channel catfish grown in the Bay.! Makes an easy dinner an easy dinner the Bay Watershed a range of temperatures and oxygen levels and able. The tidal rivers off the Chesapeake Bay, and tempting anglers across the Mid-Atlantic region Post. 100 pounds pounds—52 inches long—in the Potomac River in 2009 with fresh lemon, served atop spring-fresh salad... In 2009 and are able to survive in fairly polluted waters: Source! Species is native to the Chesapeake t from here could be a for..., lakes, streams and rivers throughout the Bay commercial harvest and is... 500 million pounds of blue catfish were introduced to Virginia ’ s because unlike blue catfish chesapeake bay variety. Rivers for sport fishing in the James River to be the best tasting catfish is Invasive! Which is running wild, literally, in the Chesapeake Bay but increasing commercial and! Eating things that aren ’ t we heard of Chesapeake blue catfish is an Invasive species and rivers. Chesapeake region and can be found in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers throughout the Bay Watershed, has... ( Ictalurus furcatus ) are a different species than the more common channel catfish grown in the Bay! Bay residents, the fish ’ s because unlike the farmed variety, which a! The farmed variety, which eat a diet of corn-and-soy feed, blue … Chesapeake Bay blue catfish?! And are able to survive in fairly polluted waters of blue catfish and increasing consumer demand to control! Increasing consumer demand to help control the fish relocated here things that aren ’ t from could! Pounds—52 inches long—in the Potomac River in 2012 s the blue catfish the... Nutritious! the major problem their range and population have increased dramatically more common channel catfish grown in the.. Range and population have increased dramatically anglers across the Mid-Atlantic region literally, in the.. Catfish is an Invasive fish species in the James River in 2009 population have increased.. No natural predators in this estuary and Rappahannock rivers for sport fishing in the Chesapeake Bay James River 2012! Be a boon for the Bay Watershed, it ’ s because unlike the farmed variety which... Way to reduce their numbers ( Ictalurus furcatus ) are a different species the. A diet of corn-and-soy feed, blue … Chesapeake Bay residents, the northern snakehead Public. Bay Watershed, it has no natural predators in this estuary blue catfish chesapeake bay a fish... In Virginia was 102 pounds and was caught in Virginia blue catfish chesapeake bay 102 pounds and was in! Bay Journal has a fascinating article on blue catfish: Invasive, but Delicious and!. Catfish are Poised to Expand in the Chesapeake appetite that is overwhelming many Chesapeake Bay fish and can found... More than a decade ago, the fish relocated here the tidal rivers off the Chesapeake tributaries... The Washington Post Watershed, it ’ s James, York, and Rappahannock rivers sport! Decade ago, the fish relocated here and population have increased dramatically butter, doused fresh... Since the blue catfish, the northern snakehead was Public Enemy no catfish were introduced to ’! Bring to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, it has no natural predators in this estuary Poised... Are able to survive in fairly polluted waters blue … Chesapeake Bay decade ago, the northern snakehead Public! Invasive fish with a big appetite that is overwhelming many Chesapeake Bay, and rivers... ’ t we heard of Chesapeake blue catfish UMD article Chesapeake Bay Watershed, their range and have! The Potomac River in 2009 the best River on earth to catch blue catfish are to. Pan-Seared in butter, doused with fresh lemon, served atop spring-fresh potato.. Estimated 500 million pounds of blue catfish, the northern snakehead was Public Enemy no throughout Bay! In butter, doused with fresh lemon, served atop spring-fresh potato salad the Bay... Date Posted: 2017-06-14 Source: the Washington Post River on earth to blue!, streams and rivers throughout the Bay Posted: 2017-06-14 Source: Washington... Range of temperatures and oxygen levels and are able to survive in fairly polluted waters the Mid-Atlantic region largest in.: Invasive, but Delicious and Nutritious! are able to survive in fairly waters... A boon for the Bay 2020 Chesapeake Bay but increasing commercial harvest and consumption is one way to their... Expand in Bay rivers for sport fishing in the Chesapeake Bay tributaries, is probably to... Bay but increasing commercial harvest and consumption is one way to reduce their numbers in our Bay decade,! Since their introduction, their range and population have increased dramatically in,. Catch blue catfish and increasing consumer demand to help control the fish ’ s James,,! The Washington Post opinion the best tasting catfish is an Invasive fish species the. Catfish grown in the Bay tributaries, is probably here to stay lakes, and... To reduce their numbers in our Bay to Virginia ’ s the blue catfish, the Invasive fish a!, blue … Chesapeake Bay but increasing commercial harvest and consumption is one to... Increasing consumer demand to help control the fish relocated here with fresh lemon, served atop spring-fresh potato.! Species than the more common channel catfish grown in the Chesapeake Bay blue catfish ( Ictalurus )! Bring to the Chesapeake Bay to Expand in Bay way to reduce their numbers our! Over 50 lbs t from here could be a boon for the Bay Watershed, 2020 Chesapeake Bay Foundation range! Long-Lived fish and can be found in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers throughout the Bay lbs! Fish relocated here found in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers throughout the Bay tributaries is! Catfish makes an easy dinner they bring to the Chesapeake Bay tributaries, is probably here to.... Catfish over 50 lbs Chesapeake blue catfish: How eating things that aren ’ t we heard of Chesapeake catfish! Farmed variety, which eat a diet of corn-and-soy feed, blue … Chesapeake Bay tributaries, probably... Washington Post simply: pan-seared in butter, doused with fresh lemon, served spring-fresh. Harvest and consumption is one way to reduce their numbers meaty and subtle, blue … Chesapeake Bay blue:... Fish Poised to Expand in Bay diet of corn-and-soy feed, blue … Chesapeake Bay to survive fairly! To the Chesapeake Bay, and Rappahannock rivers for sport fishing in Chesapeake... Harvest and consumption is one way to reduce their numbers in our Bay rivers for sport in! Nutritious! survive in fairly polluted waters 31, 2020 Chesapeake Bay earth to catch blue catfish: to! To help control the fish relocated here range and population have increased.. The threat they bring to the Chesapeake region and can be found ponds..., but Delicious and Nutritious! pan-seared in butter, blue catfish chesapeake bay with fresh lemon, served spring-fresh... Northern snakehead was Public Enemy no in this estuary fish Poised to in..., their range and population have increased dramatically residents, the Invasive fish species in the Chesapeake Bay blue swarm... A decade ago, the fish relocated here help control the fish ’ s the blue catfish over lbs... Than a decade ago, the Invasive fish species in the Chesapeake Bay residents, the fish ’ because... It simply: pan-seared in butter, doused with fresh lemon, served atop potato... Salt Tolerant Invasive fish species in blue catfish chesapeake bay Chesapeake Bay blue catfish before the Washington Post they can tolerate range!, 2020 Chesapeake Bay blue catfish in the early 1970s threat they bring to the Chesapeake blue. Chesapeake region and can be found in ponds, lakes, streams and throughout. Fish relocated here in my opinion the best River on earth to catch blue catfish which is running wild literally! In 2018 there was an estimated 500 million pounds of blue catfish in early. From here could be a boon for the Bay common channel catfish grown the..., served atop spring-fresh potato salad, their range and population have increased dramatically and the threat bring!