VDACS grant program intended to address invasive blue catfish population

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) is accepting grant funding applications for a program designed to address the growing population of an invasive fish species in and around the Chesapeake Bay.

According to VDACS, the blue catfish has been documented in all of Virginia’s tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay over the last several decades. Blue catfish eat native shad, herring, striped bass, menhaden, clams and blue crabs, threatening the populations of those species.

In an attempt to address this problem, VDACS is funding projects which will help expand the fishing and processing of the invasive fish in Virginia and is accepting applications for grant money until Sept. 6.

“Our mission is to ensure agriculture continues to be a growth engine and source of jobs in rural Virginia,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr. “Agriculture in all its forms is vitally important to Virginia’s economy, and this new program further diversifies economic opportunities in the industry.”

According to VDACS Commissioner Joseph Guthrie, blue catfish are highly nutritious and delicious — and increasing the catching and processing of them in Virginia can be an opportunity to turn a problem faced by the state’s ecosystems into an economically fruitful venture.

“Reducing the population of this invasive species by turning it into a revenue stream for Virginia producers is a win-win,” said Guthrie.

The Blue Catfish Processing, Flash Freezing, and Infrastructure Grant Program provides reimbursable grants of up to $250,000 for infrastructure projects which “directly support local food production, enhance environmental sustainability, and demonstrate a broad community benefit.”

According to VDACS, priority for the grants will be given to the following types of capital projects:

• Projects that create processing, flash freezing, and infrastructure capacity in proximity to small-scale blue catfish watermen.
• Processing facilities that are primarily locally owned, including packaging, freezing, and labeling facilities that are used for processing blue catfish.
• Projects that involve or incorporate existing seafood processors and businesses.
• Projects located in the localities of the Rural Coastal Virginia Community Enhancement Authority or in Planning District 23.

Completed grant applications should be emailed to Genette Harris of the Office of Agriculture and Forestry Development, at genette.harris@vdacs.virginia.gov or mailed to the VDACS Office of Agriculture and Forestry Development, located at 102 Governor Street, Richmond, Va., 23219.

Applications must be emailed or postmarked by Sept. 6. More information about the application process can be found here .

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