Predatory Virginia Blue Catfish are wreaking havoc in the Commonwealth and other states

Blue catfish are predatoryPhoto byWikipedia

Blue catfish are predators moving from state to state

Blue catfish were introduced to Virginia's waterways in the 1970s. The Roanoke Times reports that today, the predators are wreaking havoc in the Commonwealth and neighboring states, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Blue catfish also spread rapidly from Virginia to Maryland, where in 2023, Governor Wes Moore sought federal assistance after declaring the "excessive population of the fish in state waters a “commercial fishery disaster.”

Virginians are being asked to decrease the population

Michael Schwarz director of the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Virginia Tech, says he has seen blue catfish with prized seafood in their bellies. They devour everything they can and then turn to saltwater areas for more food.

He recommends that Virginians help the ecosystem by catching and eating blue catfish, which will decrease the numbers. He also says they are not dirty bottom dwellers like other catfish and taste surprisingly pleasant.