Blue catfish have been terrorizing Chesapeake Bay’s native fish for decades; they consume smaller fish and invertebrates in huge quantities and compete with larger fish. Some of their prey species are economically important, like blue crabs and menhaden, while others are already the focus of recovery efforts due to low populations, like shad and river herring. One proposed solution is to develop a market and a commercial fishery for the troublemakers. Will there be something blue on your Thanksgiving plate this year?

Speakers:

• Bruce Vogt, Ecosystem Science Manager, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office & Chair, Chesapeake Bay Program’s Invasive Catfish Workgroup
• Mike Hutt, Executive Director, Virginia Marine Products Board