Help Save the Bay from Unwanted Guests

Snakehead fish terrorize the shores of a lake town in the movie Snakehead Terror, while a catfish á la Jaws devours teenagers in Beneath. The outsized fiction of such low-budget horror films may be stranger than truth, but the threat of the northern snakehead and blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed is all too real. They are apex predators chomping on most other fish, competing for habitat and throwing off the balance of the food web.

“Both blue catfish and northern snakehead have quickly spread through the Chesapeake Bay watershed, particularly in the past decade,” says Branson Williams, the invasive fishes program manager at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

“(Blue catfish) consume a host of different prey items ... like blue crabs, white perch, American eel and Atlantic menhaden... Similarly, northern snakeheads can reach very high densities in some locations, and there is evidence that they reduce abundances of their prey species and alter fish communities,” Williams adds.

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CHEFS ON THE FRONT LINE

The concerted effort to stop these bad actors from overtaking the aquatic stage is simple: Cook ‘em up! Conservation officers, legislators, fishermen and chefs have come to the table and turned to the kitchen to serve these species to predators higher on the food chain, namely people.

“Our primary means of managing these populations, and hopefully reducing them, is through commercial and recreational harvest,” says Williams. “People are realizing that these fishes are delicious and readily available. We’re working with partners to increase consumer awareness and get more blue catfish and snakeheads on people’s plates in the region, and even nationally and internationally.”

Both species are being fished, processed and served. They’re blackened, pan seared, smoked, grilled and baked. They’re stuffed in tacos and po’ boy sandwiches and integrated into a host of other creative recipes.

Mild and flaky with a taste similar to rockfish (striped bass), blue catfish have made it onto menus throughout the region. When Eastport Kitchen in Annapolis opened eight years ago, the DNR dropped off blue cat and snakehead samples. Chef Chris Gosnell says he liked the taste of both fish, but he thought offering “snakehead” would be a tough sell. He fried up the blue catfish and put it on the menu as a po’ boy named “You’re My Boy Blue.” It’s been a popular dish ever since.

John Shields, chef at Gertrude’s Chesapeake Kitchen in Baltimore, played off “coddies” (a patty using cod) to create “catties.” He’s turned crab imperial into blue cat imperial and shares a slew of recipes through his conservation-focused nonprofit, Our Common Table, which features a YouTube channel with blue catfish recipes.

“It’s a shame we have the blue cat, but we have them. There’s no going back on that, so we must figure out what we can do with these creatures,” says Shields. “Fortunately, they taste good. It’s a pretty versatile fish.”

Despite varied availability and a cringy moniker, some chefs prefer northern snakehead. Matthew Brusca, Chef de Cuisine at Alewife in Richmond, VA, offers snakehead a week or two each month. He describes it as a clean, firm, flakey whitefish and likes to fry it or use a Southeast Asian technique of steaming it in a banana leaf with sticky rice and siding it with garlic and chili sauces. Wait staff describe the fish’s invasive history when touting the specials.

“It looks wild, and it’s slimy, but break it open and it’s a nice eating fish,” says Brusca. “The common Alewife customer is pretty adventurous, so seeing something like snakehead piques people’s interest.”

Many believe renaming the snakehead fish will make it more palatable. Two senators are working on doing just that, although reaching a consensus is about as slippery as the fish itself. “Chesapeake Channa,” a play on the scientific name, has made it to the forefront. The nicknamed “Frankenfish,” so called due to its razor-sharp canine teeth, may be coming to dinner soon.

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HOW THEY LANDED ON THE MENU

Blue catfish and northern snakehead made their entrée into Chesapeake waterways in different ways. The blue catfish hailed from Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers. In the 1970s and 1980s, the species was introduced into Virginia’s James, York and Rappahannock rivers to establish recreational fisheries. They now occupy all major tributaries of the watershed. Much of that expansion has occurred over the past decade.

It’s hard to quantify how many blue catfish swim in the Bay today, but a good reference is the 2023 number fished from the Potomac and Maryland waters — 4.2 million pounds. Tilghman Island Seafood, the only USDA-certified blue catfish processor on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, processes almost 100,000 pounds of blue catfish a week.

Virginia recently announced $250,000 in state funding for blue catfish processor Sea Farms, Inc. on the Middle Peninsula. And Maryland senators secured $4.5 million in federal funding to help build the fishery, increase processing, study ecological effects and guide management of the blue catfish.

The northern snakehead, native to Asia and a delicacy in parts of the world, likely made it into U.S. waters due to aquarium dumpings and releases from fish markets. In 2002, it was spotted in a pond in Crofton, MD. The town took measures to kill the aggressive fish and eliminate it from the pond. But the fish, which has the unique ability to slither onto land and breath air for prolonged periods, turned up two years later in Chesapeake waterways.

“In 2004, the fish were documented in Virginia creeks of the Potomac River, and now are widespread and occur in all major tributaries of the Bay, and even some freshwater impoundments,” says Williams. “In some areas like Maryland’s Blackwater River, their abundance is startling, and we see anglers removing hundreds of pounds of these fish with regularity.”

Rises in water temperature, storms that bring freshwater into the bay and changes in acidity have helped both fish species flourish. Add to that hitching a ride in fish lifts at dams meant for spawning species and human transportation of the fish from one location to another. It’s a sticky problem.

Enter commercial and recreational fishing. The Maryland DNR and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources provide tips and guidelines for those wanting to catch and eat invasive species.

Experts agree that blue catfish, which swim in rivers and the bay itself, are typically found where the water is brackish. Whiskers on the sides and bottom of the mouth, a bluish-gray heavy body, and an upper jaw that protrudes beyond the lower make the blue catfish distinguishable from other catfish.

The northern snakehead has a distinct appearance with dark brown mottling and a torpedo-shaped body. It has long dorsal and anal fins and jaws that contain numerous canine-like teeth. Snakehead are found in many places but prefer sluggish water with aquatic vegetation and muddy bottom. Beware the razor-sharp teeth and slippery nature of the fish.

Transporting these fish species is illegal and can mean a fine of up $2,500. The DNR urges anglers to kill them rather than release them. They can be cut up and used for bait or fertilizer. Or better yet, cook ‘em up and help Chesapeake Bay waters.

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TWO TASTY WAYS TO COOK YOUR CATCH

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Crispy Maryland Blue Catfish

INGREDIENTS‍

1 LB. BLUE CATFISH FILLETS

1/4 CUP FLOUR

1/2 CUP MILK

1 CUP GROUND YELLOW CORNMEAL

2 EGGS

2-3 TSP. OLD BAY OR J.O. CRAB SEASONING (OR TO TASTE)

LEMON WEDGES

CANOLA OIL FOR FRYING

TARTAR SAUCE

SALT

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whip the eggs and milk together and add Old Bay or J.O. Crab Seasoning.

2. Mix the cornmeal and flour together and place on a plate.

3. Dip fillets in the seasoned egg mixture and place on the cornmeal/ flour mixture, sprinkling the top of the filet with the dry mixture and pressing it in with your hand.

4. Place prepared fillets on a baking sheet and let stand for 15 minutes

5. Preheat oil to 350 degrees on medium heat in a heavy cast iron skillet and carefully place fillets in oil when it is hot (to avoid crowding you may have to cook fish in batches). Fry until golden brown and crispy. About 2-3 minutes per side. Fish is done when it can be easily flaked with a fork.

6. Place cooked fish on a plate lined with a paper towel and season with salt and a squirt of lemon juice. Serve with tartar sauce and enjoy!

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Blue Catfish Dip

INGREDIENTS‍

1 CUP CRUMBLED SMOKED OR ROASTED CATFISH

1⁄2 CUP MILK

8 OZ. CREAM CHEESE

1⁄4 CUP FINELY MINCED ONION

1 STALK CELERY

1 TBSP. MINCED FRESH PARSLEY

3 TSP. SWEET PICKLE RELISH

1⁄2 TSP. LEMON JUICE

1 TSP. WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

CAYENNE, SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put the smoked fish in a medium bowl and add the milk.

2. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to an hour. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

3. Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours until flavors have blended.

4. Serve with your favorite crackers.

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Recipes and photos are courtesy of Maryland’s Best