A U.S. federal lawmaker from the state of Maryland has introduced legislation to help foster a new market for invasive blue catfish as pet food.
Since their introduction to the Chesapeake Bay region as a sportfish, blue catfish have spread rapidly, consuming vast amounts of food and outcompeting local species. As the fish has come to dominate the area’s waterways, local, state, and federal officials have worked to create new markets for blue catfish in an attempt to turn the invasive species into a beneficial resource and incentivize their removal from waterways.
“Having grown up on the Chesapeake Bay, I understand how important it is to protect our marine wildlife and restore the Bay’s ecosystem,” U.S. Representative Rob Wittman (R-Virginia) said in a statement. “Since their introduction, blue catfish have become an invasive species, posing a growing threat to the biodiversity of the region’s waters and inflicting economic damage to the seafood industries that rely on the Bay.
Now, U.S. Representative Sarah Elfreth (D-Maryland) and other lawmakers have introduced legislation directing the federal government to explore the use of blue catfish in pet food production.
“The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States, with more coastline across the Watershed than the entire coast of California. It is a pillar of our local recreation, seafood, and tourism economies,” Elfreth said in a statement. “Invasive blue catfish pose a direct ecological and economic threat to our Bay, which is why I am introducing the bipartisan [Mitigation Action and Watermen Support (MAWS) Act] alongside Congressman Wittman to address the damage inflicted by blue catfish, while also strengthening our local seafood economy and providing a new source of protein to pets nationwide.”
The MAWS Act would direct NOAA Fisheries to establish a two-year pilot program within its Chesapeake Bay Office and provide grants to pet and animal food manufacturers interested in using blue catfish.
The legislation has been introduced by sportfishing organizations as well as multiple pet food manufacturers.
“This is exactly the kind of policy that makes a lasting difference. The MAWS Act creates a clear path to address a significant environmental problem while giving pet parents the chance to make a meaningful choice – one that’s good for pets, good for people, and good for the planet. I’m proud to support it,” CITIZEN’S Pet Products CEO Aaron Merrell said in a statement.
