Natural Resources - Invasive Blue Catfish Pilot Program - Alterations
Summary
HB947 alters Maryland’s Invasive Blue Catfish Pilot Program and the related commercial license framework in the Department of Natural Resources. The bill expands the pilot program to expressly include a Blue Catfish Gill Net Program, alongside the existing for-hire/commercial and mid- and lower-Bay trotline components, and directs DNR to continue evaluating additional harvest methods that may help reduce invasive blue catfish populations in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
The bill also amends the commercial blue and flathead catfish license so that a license holder may catch blue catfish for sale in tidal waters using either a finfish trotline or a gill net with a mesh size of no more than 7 inches, while flathead catfish remain limited to finfish trotlines. It preserves the existing licensing structure, including the $15 annual fee, the one-year term, the nontransferability of the license, and the rule that applicants do not need a tidal fish license to be eligible. The act is an emergency measure and is temporary, remaining in effect through June 30, 2030, unless extended by future legislation.
Impact
HB947 changes the Natural Resources Article by broadening the authorized gear and program structure for harvesting invasive blue catfish, which is intended to support removal of a nonnative species that affects the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. It also updates reporting requirements so DNR must report annually to the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee and the House Environment and Transportation Committee, rather than to the Governor and the General Assembly generally. The bill therefore affects commercial fishers, for-hire operators, and DNR’s regulatory authority over invasive species management and commercial fishing methods.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial in the legislature. It passed the House 124-0 and the Senate 43-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The absence of committee transcript material suggests there was little recorded public dispute in the available record, and the votes reflect a consensus that expanding harvest tools for invasive blue catfish is a practical fisheries-management measure.
Contention
No major opposition is evident in the available materials. The main policy issue embedded in the bill is whether to expand harvesting methods, especially the use of gill nets and broader trotline authority, to increase removal of invasive blue catfish. Any concerns would likely center on bycatch, user conflicts, and other operational impacts, since the bill preserves DNR discretion to restrict trotline areas based on those factors. However, the unanimous votes suggest those concerns did not generate significant legislative resistance.