Natural Resources - Invasive Blue Catfish Pilot Program

More blue catfish fishing options for Maryland

The law creates Maryland’s Invasive Blue Catfish Pilot Program to curb their spread in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. This emergency law took effect April 22, 2025, and ends June 30, 2026, unless extended by law. Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources runs the pilot with the Invasive Catfish Advisory Committee. The department can let eligible participants combine for-hire and commercial fishing trips and change rules to increase commercial harvests. It must allow finfish trotlines south of the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge as much as feasible. It can restrict fishing areas to address catches of unintended species, conflicts among users, or other relevant concerns. The department must consider electrofishing, trotlines up to 2,400 feet long, unlimited hook numbers, and hooks that resist corrosion. It does not have to approve those methods. The pilot also includes other programs the department finds effective. The department must expand successful practices and keep running and updating the pilot until it ends. It must report findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1, 2025.