August 2, 2024August Is National Catfish Month!

August is National Catfish Month and there’s no better way to celebrate than with Wild Caught Virginia Blue Catfish. Blue Catfish is an invasive species that was originally released by the game department as a sports fish for recreational watermen. These fish were released in the Rappahannock, York, and James rivers throughout the 70’s and the 80’s. At the time it was believed they would not be able to travel out of these rivers and into the Chesapeake Bay due to the salinity levels, but during years with heavy rainfall the salinity level drops enough that they have been able to swim out into the Chesapeake Bay and into other rivers and tributaries they were not introduced to.

Blue Catfish have no natural predators and left on there own can grow up to five feet long and weigh over 100 pounds. Blue Catfish also spawn once a year and produce a large number of offspring each reproduction cycle. Female Blue Catfish produce between 4,000 to 8,000 eggs for each kilogram of body weight so one 10-pound fish can produce more than 20,000 eggs per year! Due to Blue Catfish not facing predatory concerns, rapid growth, and large yearly spawns they have put a tremendous pressure on native Virginia species, Striped Bass, Blue Crab, Shad, Herring, Menhaden, Atlantic Sturgeon, Clams, Oysters, and other finfish are seeing large declines due to Blue Catfish. The latest biomass study of the James River showed that its population was over 80% Blue Catfish.

Fortunately, Blue Catfish provides an opportunity for the Virginia Seafood Industry. Due to feeding in the Water Column as opposed to the bottom Blue Catfish has a sweet mild flavor and a firm tender fillet. These qualities lead to Blue Catfish adhering well with a variety of species and marinades. The firm fillet also holds up well when using a variety of cooking methods including pan searing, blackening, frying, smoking and grilling. Blue Catfish can be caught in a variety of ways including pound nets, gill nets, haul seine, and pots. A newer method for harvesting Blue Catfish is low frequency electrofishing. This method uses a low frequency DC current to temporarily stun the fish, causing them to surface to enable harvesting.

While Blue Catfish is causing pressure on Virginia’s native seafood populations it also provides an opportunity for growth for the Virginia Seafood Industry. Blue Catfish population numbers in Virginia are currently well beyond sustainable and with a growing number of Virginia harvesters and processors these numbers will reach more manageable numbers. This would help to alleviate the population decreases in Virginia’s native seafood species and might allow for a recovery in their population levels. Check with your local retail seafood markets, grocery store chains, and restaurants for fresh caught Virginia Blue Catfish, by doing this you are also helping to support Virginia’s commercial watermen and women.