ANNAPOLIS, Md. — More lawmakers are stepping in to help rid Maryland's waterways of the invasive blue catfish.
On Wednesday, Congressman Andy Harris (R) and US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced $6 million in grants for seafood processors.
The goal is to create new markets for processing invasive, wild-caught blue catfish.
WATCH: Another step in battling the invasive blue catfish
USDA, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Agriculture, will launch a year-long pilot program to purchase up to $2 million worth of Chesapeake Bay blue catfish.
This initiative will support regional processors, eliminate invasive fish from the Bay, and provide nutritious food to families through food banks.
“This project benefits rural communities with new jobs, supports our fishermen, and provides essential protein to those in need,” says Secretary Rollins.
Harris expressed his gratitude. “This funding is a victory for our watermen and coastal communities, combating invasive species and supporting local economies.”
Local waterman and fish market owner, Tony Conrad, says processing the fish has been a limiting factor in the amount of fish he can catch.
"There has been times when the said processors in the state of Maryland couldn't take our fish because they had too many," said Conrad.
An In Focus look at the history of blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay
"The people that have eaten it, Love it. I mean the amount of people that come in asking for it now is unbelievable. We can't honestly can't get enough because there's not enough processors that are processing it," added Conrad.
Currently USDA regulations make it tougher on small fish markets to process the fish.
Conrad wants to see those regulations relaxed.
"So hopefully this this fund that is happening here, these grants will open it up and hopefully the laws will be relaxed where people like us at all of our locations can process them and serve them directing here," said Conrad.
Democratic leaders are also working to eradicate these invasive fish from the waterways. Last month, a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress aimed at using blue catfish in pet food products.
See how a new bill would turn invasive blue catfish into pet food
Blue catfish have no natural predators in the Chesapeake Bay, can live up to 20 years, and weigh up to 100 pounds. They prey on economically important species like blue crabs, rockfish, striped bass, and oysters.
WMAR-2 News Jeff Morgan has been reporting on the issues, even highlighting how local chefs are working with the Department of Agriculture to turn these fish, who eat other fish, into something amazing for your dinner plate.
