Delegation discusses blue catfish processing and oyster restoration; members seek federal help to build processing infrastructure

State and federal lawmakers and agency officials discussed two fisheries issues affecting the Chesapeake Bay: oyster sanctuary performance and the need for processing capacity to commercialize blue catfish.

Senator Mounts said 48 of 51 oyster sanctuaries are underperforming and described a proposed bill to impose a five-year hiatus on federal tributary-scale oyster restoration projects. He said the pause would allow time to reassess management, restore balance among aquaculture, the commercial fishery and sanctuaries, and avoid further investment in approaches the Department of Natural Resources’ figures show are not working.

Mounts and other delegates also raised blue catfish as an overabundant species and said restrictions on harvesting and limited processing capacity block a market-based solution. "The choke point right now ... is processing," Mounts said; he and others asked Harris to pursue federal funding and regulatory relief that would allow new processing plants to be built and operate at scale.

Harris said he will meet with the commerce secretary (NOAA sits in Commerce) and the incoming Agriculture secretary to seek relief from what he called ‘‘crazy, bureaucratic restrictions" on processing-plant applicants and to try to increase appropriations for processing hubs in the next appropriations cycle.

Ending: Delegation members asked for a coordinated federal response including changes to permitting or processing rules and targeted funding to create regional processing hubs; Congressman Harris promised to press the relevant federal agencies.