Sen. Van Hollen, Alsobrooks Announce $1M for Blue Catfish Processing in Caroline Co.

CAROLINE COUNTY, Md. – U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks have announced one million dollars in funding for BSA Seafood LLC in Carline County to process invasive Blue Catfish harvested from the Chesapeake Bay.

The federal funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program, an initiative that Senator Van Hollen established through the American Rescue Plan in 2021. Senator Van Hollen and Team Maryland later worked to fund the program through appropriations legislation and ensure that the Department prioritized Maryland seafood businesses that process blue catfish in administering this funding.

“Invasive blue catfish are one of the biggest threats to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and those who count on the Bay for their livelihoods, which is why I’ve been working for years to provide federal resources to tackle this challenge,” Senator Van Hollen said in a statement. “This $1 million investment is an example of those resources being put to use where they are needed most – here in Maryland – supporting our watermen in harvesting blue catfish and helping our local seafood companies to get it onto Americans’ dinner tables.”

This funding follows a new partnership announced at the beginning of Feb. between seafood company Real Good Fish and Caroline County Public Schools to put invasive Blue Catfish on the menu for K-12 schools.

“Invasive, wild-caught catfish are creating a significant threat to the Bay and causing ecological damage,” Senator Alsobrooks said in a statement. “I am glad to see we are investing federal dollars into solving this issue and look forward to eliminating the threats caused by this invasive species once and for all.”