August 14, 2025Virginia Wild Blue Catfish: Fresh, Local, Sustainable!
In honor of National Catfish Month, the VMPB is highlighting Blue Catfish as the Virginia Seafood Fish of the Day all of August. Blue Catfish has an interesting history in Virginia. They were originally released in the York, James, and Rappahannock rivers in the 70’s and 80’s by the game department for sports fisheries. At the time it was believed that the Blue Catfish would not be able to swim out of these rivers due to the salinity levels but during years with heavy rainfall the salinity level drops enough that the Blue Catfish has been able to swim out and populate all of Virginia’s rivers and tributaries leading into the Chesapeake Bay.
Blue Catfish are an apex predator in the Chesapeake Bay region and feed in the water column, off species that we also enjoy such as Blue Crab, Rockfish, and baby oysters and clams. Because of their rapid growing population and not having any natural predators in the Chesapeake Bay region the Blue Catfish reliance on these species as a food source is causing a serious negative impact upon Virginia’s native populations. As a result of their dietary habits Virginia Wild Blue Catfish have a sweeter taste and cleaner fillets compared to a farm raised catfish. Blue Catfish has been declared an invasive species by NOAA and the VMRC and as a result Virginia’s commercial watermen and women can harvest fresh, local, sustainable Blue Catfish year-round with no limits. Help Virginia’s native species and support your local watermen and women by sourcing Virginia Wild Blue Catfish at restaurants, seafood markets, and retail stores.
