Elfreth Introduces First-of-its-Kind Legislation to Facilitate Use of Invasive Blue Catfish in Pet Food

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03), Vice Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee and Co-Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force, introduced the bipartisan Mitigation Action and Watermen Support (MAWS) Act alongside Representatives Rob Wittman (R-VA-01), Steny Hoyer (D-MD-05), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02). 

The bill takes aim at one of the greatest predators threatening the ecology and economy of the Chesapeake Bay: the invasive blue catfish. The MAWS Act will establish a pilot program within the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office to facilitate a new market for Chesapeake Bay blue catfish in the pet and animal food industry in an effort to take millions of pounds of these harmful fish out of our waterways. NOAA will administer grants to pet and animal food manufacturers to ensure watermen are properly incentivized to catch blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay and establish transportation, processing, and manufacturing structures for a long-term market. 

Throughout this two-year pilot, NOAA will collect data on the ecological and economic impacts of this program on the population of invasive blue catfish and other species in the Chesapeake Bay, the economic impact on watermen, and the market response and processes from pet and animal food manufacturers. NOAA will additionally report back to Congress on best practices, lessons learned, and recommendations for additional species in other watersheds that may benefit from this program. 

“The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States, with more coastline across the Watershed than the entire coast of California. It is a pillar of our local recreation, seafood, and tourism economies,” said Congresswoman Elfreth. “Invasive blue catfish pose a direct ecological and economic threat to our Bay, which is why I am introducing the bipartisan MAWS Act alongside Congressman Wittman to address the damage inflicted by blue catfish, while also strengthening our local seafood economy and providing a new source of protein to pets nationwide.”

“Having grown up on the Chesapeake Bay, I understand how important it is to protect our marine wildlife and restore the Bay’s ecosystem,” said Congressman Wittman. “Since their introduction,  blue catfish have become an invasive species, posing a growing threat to the biodiversity of the region’s waters and inflicting economic damage to the seafood industries that rely on the Bay. I am proud to join Representative Elfreth in introducing the MAWS Act, which will create a new market to incentivize the harvest and sale of blue catfish while providing valuable data for future efforts to combat invasive species in our waterways.”

Invasive blue catfish do not have any natural predators in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. They can live up to 20 years and weigh up to 100 pounds. Their diet consists of staples of our seafood industry, including blue crabs, rockfish, striped bass, and oysters. Blue catfish are not only contributing to the ecological biodiversity challenge of the Bay, but also causing significant economic damage to our seafood industry in Maryland and Virginia.

“The Chesapeake Bay is the beating heart of Maryland,” Congressman Hoyer said. “We have a responsibility to look after the Bay, its ecosystems, and the communities that it sustains. I'm proud to join my friend Sarah Elfreth – a longtime advocate for the Chesapeake Bay – on this vital legislation to protect the health of our public waters.”

“The Chesapeake Bay is central to our way of life in Coastal Virginia. It supports thousands of jobs and feeds millions of people, but its future is under threat from invasive blue catfish. The MAWS Act is a creative, bipartisan solution that helps our watermen, protects native species, and turns an environmental challenge into an economic opportunity. By building a new market for blue catfish in pet food, we can strengthen the Bay’s ecology and the seafood economy that depends on it,” said Congresswoman Kiggans.

“The Pet Food Institute, whose members make the vast majority of dog and cat food and treats in the U.S., is proud to endorse the MAWS Act, which establishes a pilot program enabling pet food makers to use Chesapeake Bay blue catfish as a high-quality ingredient in complete and balanced cat and dog food,” said the Pet Food Institute’s president and CEO, Dana Brooks. “PFI applauds Reps. Sarah Elfreth and Rob Wittman for introducing legislation that opens the door to a potential new pet food ingredient market while also offering local economic impact and environmental benefit.”

“The American Feed Industry Association is pleased to endorse the ‘Mitigation Action and Watermen Support Act of 2025’ to encourage the commercial use of blue catfish harvested from the Chesapeake Bay, including use as a wholesome and nutritious ingredient in pet food,” said Leah Wilkinson, American Feed Industry Association’s Chief Policy Officer.

“This is exactly the kind of policy that makes a lasting difference. The MAWS Act creates a clear path to address a significant environmental problem while giving pet parents the chance to make a meaningful choice — one that’s good for pets, good for people, and good for the planet. I’m proud to support it,” said Aaron Merrell, CEO, CITIZEN’S Pet Products (Plato Pet Treats and Furry Republic).

“Invasive blue catfish impact important recreational fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay, outcompeting and directly preying on species like striped bass,” said Mike Leonard, Vice President of Government Affairs at the American Sportfishing Association. “The MAWS Act helps to address this challenge, establishing an innovative program to encourage the harvest of these invasive species, while gathering data that will support fisheries management in the Bay. ASA thanks Representatives Elfreth and Wittman for their leadership of this bill, which could set a strong example for invasive species control nationwide.”

“The Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries are my home waters, and I can personally attest to the changes in the Bay’s fisheries in recent years due to various pressures on the resource, not the least of which is the invasive blue catfish,” said Jeff Crane, President and CEO of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “We applaud Rep. Elfreth and Rep. Wittman for their leadership and their innovative proposal to address the growing population of this invasive species in the Bay.”

“Blue catfish pose a clear and present danger to valuable native Bay species like blue crabs and striped bass. Finding and standing up new markets for this invasive species, like the pet and animal food industry, is essential to keeping its numbers in check. So is ensuring that it makes economic sense for watermen to catch them. The Mitigation Action & Watermen Support Act does both, which is why the Chesapeake Bay Foundation is pleased to support it,” said Keisha Sedlacek, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Federal Director. “We thank House Natural Resources Vice Chairman Rob Wittman and Vice Ranking Member Sarah Elfreth for their leadership and creative thinking on ways to control this dangerous predator threatening iconic Bay species and the people who make their living on them.” 

“The Choose Clean Water Coalition is pleased to support the MAWS Act, which will take a critical step in mitigating the damage caused by invasive blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay. This legislation is yet another example of an action that’s positive for both the environment and local economy. Opening up new markets for blue catfish will provide an additional revenue stream for watermen while also addressing a growing threat to the health of the Bay’s ecosystem. We want to thank Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (D-MD) and Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA) for introducing the MAWS Act and are looking forward to it progressing through Congress,” said Choose Clean Water Coalition Director, Kristin Reilly.

“Blue Catfish are a significant and unchecked threat to the Chesapeake Bay’s major river systems, preying on iconic and economically important species like blue crabs, Atlantic menhaden, and striped bass,” said Anna Killius, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission. “As apex predators, these non-native fish are rapidly expanding in population and range, putting our ecosystem and our coastal economies at risk. We need solutions like the MAWS Act that will put science and market-based solutions to work to control this growing threat and support those whose livelihoods depend on our native fisheries.”

“The invasive blue catfish has spread throughout the Chesapeake Bay, harming our ecosystems and iconic native species including blue crab and rockfish,” said National Aquarium President and CEO John Racanelli. “As an organization committed to saving wildlife and habitats, the National Aquarium encourages people to consume blue catfish, and we proudly serve it in our café. We also believe there is strong potential for blue catfish to contribute to healthy pet and animal diets and are investigating the possibility of incorporating it into the diet of animals in our care. The National Aquarium applauds this bipartisan legislation and its innovative approach to help create new markets, support watermen, and spur demand for greater consumption of invasive blue catfish.”

“Invasive species can lead to the extinction of native species and reduced biodiversity,” said Dan Ashe, president and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. “We applaud Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth and Congressman Rob Whitman for their leadership. This bill would be a critical step forward in protecting native species and the commercial entities that rely on the Chesapeake Bay for their livelihoods.”

“We recognize the many challenges created by the population expansion of the invasive blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Maryland Sea Grant supports science-informed action to address this difficult fishery issue and believes the proposed pilot project in the MAWS Act is an important step towards understanding and managing blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland Sea Grant is grateful for the opportunity to consider this legislation and the many issues around blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay,” said Dr. Fredrika Moser, Director of the Maryland Sea Grant program.

Elfreth began her career at the National Aquarium in Baltimore and then spent six years in the Maryland Senate protecting the state’s natural resources, including the Chesapeake Bay. She reimagined the state’s approach to Bay restoration by prioritizing not only the ecological importance of the Bay but also its importance to the local economy and to future generations. Elfreth chaired the tri-state, bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Commission and worked with colleagues to pass the Whole Watershed Act, which promotes innovative, science-based solutions to waterway restoration efforts. Inspired by her work on the commission, she championed dozens of landmark environmental bills to increase oyster populations, invest in and expand state parks, build more resilient infrastructure in response to climate change, and get the state on a path to achieving 50% renewable energy usage by 2030. 

The full bill text is available HERE. A one-pager of the bill is available HERE. 

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