As bycatch, blue catfish interact with fisheries operating in Chesapeake Bay tidal tributaries and may negatively affect economic interests. His team sampled over 16,000 blue catfish stomachs from the James, Pamunkey, Mattaponi, and Rappahannock Rivers and saw that catfish have extremely broad diets including vegetation, detritus, mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. It can live up to 20 years. The species was introduced in the James, Rappahannock and York rivers in Virginia for recreational fishing in the 1970s. “Until we have clear objectives, we will not make any progress,” added Orth. Once a fun, 40-lb catch for an angler, the blue catfish is now overly abundant and growing smaller. Both Ms. Stuart and Ms. Gruber agree that the premise of the Wide Net Project—sourcing wild blue catfish from the Chesapeake Bay, funneling the catch through local processor and distributor J.J. McDonnell and providing fish to restaurants, universities and nonprofits for consumption— is a simple solution to a devastating problem. ... disrupting the ecosystem as a non-native species. Scientists from Virginia Tech try to net the large numbers of James River Blue Catfish surfacing during an electrofishing survey in 2015. Credit: Jason Emmel. In addition to the partnership with the Wide Net Project and the Real Food Challenge, GW has enhanced sustainable engagement at the university through the GroW Garden, Meatless Mondays, the Urban Food Task Force and other initiatives. Catfishes are related to the characins, carp, and minnows (order Cypriniformes) and may be placed with them in the superorder Ostariophysi. They are turning up in high numbers in the James, Potomac, and small tributaries all over the watershed, including formerly high-salinity areas that are now awash with rainwater. They are turning up in high numbers in the James, Potomac, and small tributaries all over the watershed, including formerly high-salinity areas that are now awash with rainwater. It has white chin barbels, clear or white fins with black borders on the dorsal and caudal fins. They have a prominent jaw, with sharp, compressed teeth. 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Harvesting the fish provides income to fishers and reduces the population and predation of the wild blue catfish, thereby, restoring populations of Maryland blue crab and other species, she said. By Brittney Dunkins. Cook it simply: pan-seared in butter, doused with fresh lemon, served atop spring-fresh potato salad. “I always do my work in the management context, that can be used by managers.”, He and many others are optimistic about the Chesapeake Bay Program Invasive Catfish Workgroup. In the last 40 years, the invasive fish has devastated a long-established indigenous ecosystem, crippling local economies that depend on crabs and other marine fauna for their livelihoods. Credit: Orth. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources also encourages recreational fishermen, known as anglers, to catch wild blue catfish. Researchers have wondered if the decline in American shad was related to the boom of blue catfish, but Orth notes that American shad were in decline before catfish arrived in the Bay. A slate-blue-bodied, silver-bellied native of the Ohio, Missouri and Mississippi basins, the wild blue catfish can live for more than 20 years and grow to more than 100 pounds. “The Office of Sustainability brought the Wide Net Project to our attention, and we were able to work with Sodexo to bring this exciting pilot program to campus,” Campus Dining General Manager Bernadette Thomas said. A non-native fish, blue catfish were first introduced to tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay in the 1960s and 1970s and have become popular with recreational fishermen. Currently, 20 states stock wild blue catfish for sport. Effects: Blue catfish, which are native to the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio River basins, are one of the most threatening invasive species in the Potomac River. In the Chesapeake Bay, blue catfish are considered an invasive species. That’s because unlike the farmed variety, which eat a diet of corn-and-soy feed, blue cats feed on medium-size fish like menhaden and white perch. Blue catfish, like our other catfish, have smooth, scaleless skin and barbels (“whiskers”) around the mouth. Additionally, large blue catfish have been found to have elevated levels of heavy metals, including mercury, posing a potential human health risk. Credit: Orth. GW students—GroW Garden Manager Jesse Schafer, Student Dining Board member Eric Estroff, Jennifer Weinberg, who grew up on a cattle farm, and Student Eco Rep Miles Milliken—discussed how they perceive, assess and interact with food with milk, meat and egg producers who were eager to continue discussions throughout the day. The Wide Net Project also creates local partnerships with organizations, such as the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, to increase access to healthy food, specifically protein, in underserved communities by subsidizing the cost of the fish. Don Orth, Professor at Virginia Tech, has been studying fish management for years and has recently published several papers on blue catfish, including one published in 2017. Most recently, the university connected with Communications Director of the Animal Agriculture Alliance (AAA) Emily Meredith, B.A. Blue catfish are disrupting the ecosystem because there are so many of them that they are threatening native species like the blue crab. “The exciting thing about working with Sodexo and GW is the potential for a large-scale impact,” Ms. Gruber added. Blue catfish are a lot like teenage boys. He hopes to use it to test different management interventions and calculate the effects of consumption on blue crabs or other target species. He found that the blue catfish diet is strongly correlated with season, salinity, and size of the fish, where larger fish tended to eat more at-risk species. I think this article is one sided against blue catfish. The blue catfish is one of the biggest species of catfish in North America. “Wide Net Project’s mission is to address two problems simultaneously that are often not linked together,” Ms. Gruber said. The study only checked the stomach contents of one predator, while neglecting other species in the ecosystem. It is perceived as a fishy-tasting, bottom-dwelling filet, and little effort has been put into its marketing. Learn how to find blue catfish in it's simplest form by following this rule. A humped back is displayed in front of the dorsal fin. The George Washington University Campus Dining has joined the fight to conserve the Chesapeake Bay by serving wild blue catfish, an overpopulated species whose large appetite has the potential to devastate the ecosystem of the Maryland watershed. In 2012, the Chesapeake Bay office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) established a team of representatives and scientists from federal agencies and fisheries for the Sustainable Fisheries Goal Implementation Team to combat the rapid spread of wild blue catfish in the bay. Ms. Gruber added that the best way for students to get involved is to speak up about the program. These included channel catfish, another exotic species introduced from the Great Lakes to Maryland rivers as a sportfish in 1889. “Using this economic model to serve the public good by helping organizations provide healthy food, including fish, has made our message much stronger,” Ms. Gruber said. To just say that the Blue Catfish is harmful because it ate so much of one species or … Adults usually grow to be less than two feet long, but can be as long as five feet and weigh more than 100 pounds. Wild Blue Catfish Is a Serving of Sustainability, Both Ms. Stuart and Ms. Gruber agree that the premise of the Wide Net Project—sourcing wild blue catfish from the Chesapeake Bay, funneling the catch through local processor and distributor. He noted that there are many stakeholders with different opinions on how to move forward, and there needs to be conflict resolution in order to find a strategy that works for all parties. With so many available in the Bay, one solution could be that people should simply eat more catfish. These invasive catfish can live for 30 years and grow up to 100 pounds. Managers must figure out how to restore American shad now that catfish are here to stay. Some authorities, however, have regarded these groups … Researcher Don Orth and a huge catfish catch. Meaty and subtle, blue catfish makes an easy dinner. Ms. Meredith credits her background at GW for the spark that helped her pursue agriculture and said that she is excited that sustainable food programming is integral to the university’s goals. They have expanded their range and population so much that they are likely negatively affecting the Bay ecosystem because they eat so many native species, such as striped bass, blue crab, shad, herring, and Atlantic sturgeon. Back and upper sides are pale blue to olive or slate gray and it is white ventrally. Meanwhile, other species that normally wouldn't be able to survive were able to make the bay their new home, further disrupting the ecosystem. GW is the first Sodexo account to partner with the Wide Net Project. Orth is hopeful that the group will identify research goals for him and other scientists. How to identify a Blue Catfish. On top of all of these barriers, there just is not a lot of demand for catfish. An average catfish is usually between 25-40 inches and measures 20-40 pounds. “GW has really been a champion of this partnership.”. The fish can live to 20 years. In the meantime, Orth and colleagues Corbin Hilling and Dr. Yan Jiao are working on a population model of the catfish. The George Washington University Campus Dining has joined the fight to conserve the Chesapeake Bay by serving wild blue catfish, an overpopulated species whose large appetite has the potential to devastate the ecosystem of the Maryland watershed.. 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