Blue catfish threaten Chesapeake Bay: Invasive fish put fisheries and local economy at risk

Giant mouths. Our search for those giant-mouthed blue catfish lurking beneath the surface of the Chesapeake Bay begins with a ride with fisherman C.J. Camby. They'll eat crayfish. They'll eat ducks. They'll eat literally anything that they can get in their mouth. Including the Maryland blue crab, a regional delicacy and economic driver for the seafood industry. Now, the crab numbers are diminished due to the blue catfish's voracious appetite. And they don't even belong here. Native to the Mississippi Delta, they were introduced to rivers near the Chesapeake in the 1970s for recreational fishing. But they spread out of control, growing in population and in size. It's no wonder that these guys are weighing more than 20 kilos. And at their largest, more than 50. They're literally eating up this bay. But there's someone even higher up the food chain. Schoolchildren and their cafeteria cooks. They like the seasoning. They said the seasoning's pretty good and the breading, that there was a lot of meat inside. Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland is buying up blue catfish to feed its 160,000 students. I think we're just excited to be part of a large school district, being able to help and showcase that there are other avenues for this product and that schools can be a way to feed our students and to nourish our students and utilize a product that's from our bay. La dee da dee da! These children are having their own taste test. It has a natural Chesapeake Bay taste. As the person who doesn't really like fish, the fish tastes good. I don't love it, but I feel like other people like it. I also don't really like that fish that much. It feels good to help the environment by eating this. If I were to describe it, I would describe it as it's like a little watery, like a little taste like soup. Blue catfish isn't their favorite food, but they're proving that hungry children can be a solution to this invasive problem. Heidi Jo Castro, Aljazeera, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.