Fishing tournament set to combat two invasive species in local waterways

SALISBURY, Md. – Salisbury University biological officials are set to hold a local fishing tournament aimed exclusively at two species of invasive fish that experts say are damaging local waterways and ecosystems.

Dr. Noah Bressman, Salisbury University assistant professor of biological studies, and graduate assistant Zachary Crum are combating invasive species in local waterways, and Eastern Shore anglers can help.

Fishing hobbyists and professionals alike are invited to the Nanticoke River Invasive Fishing Tournament, presented by SU Saturday, July 30 (rain date: Sunday, July 31) at Cherry Beach Park in Sharptown, MD. Lines in at 6 a.m. and weigh-in at 2 p.m., followed by awards and data collection.

The two invasive species are blue catfish and northern snakehead fish, which officials say are damaging local ecosystems and waterways, and need to be studied further in an effort to combat their growing populations across the region.

Thanks to a grant from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the free tournament features some $2,000 in prizes. All blue catfish and northern snakeheads caught will be provided to Bressman’s lab to continue research to learn more about their effects on the local ecosystem, with a focus on diet, growth speed, and reproduction rates.

“The blue catfish are particularly nasty in that they make up in some tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, up to three-quarters of the biomass of the river, so what that means is if you were to take a net and scoop out every living thing, even the microscopic things out of the water, and weigh it all, catfish would make up to three-quarters of that weight,” Dr. Bressman explained. “And so far in our research we’ve been seeing everything from striped bass, to blue crabs, and even adult ducks in their stomach, and so it shows that they eat a wide variety of everything and they are so abundant that there’s no doubt that they’re having negative impacts on the ecosystem.”

Tournament fishing is permitted at Cherry Beach Park for shore-based anglers. Those fishing from kayaks or boats may use any boat launch along the Nanticoke and tributaries such as Marshyhope Creek and Barren Creek. Maryland or Delaware tidal fishing licenses are required for all participants, respective to their fishing location.

Though invasive species like blue catfish and snakeheads have developed a stigma due to the harm they can cause for native species, that does not mean they are unfit for consumption, Bressman said.

“It’s important for anglers to know these species should not be released, and we want to bring awareness to the benefits to the native aquatic species once removed,” he said. “We encourage using these catfish and snakeheads as a food source and will be sharing creative recipes at the tournament for those who want to try cooking them at home.”

Bressman’s previous research on invasive fish, “Terrestrial Capabilities of Invasive Fishes and Their Management Implications,” is featured in the journal Integrative and Comparative Biology. Data from the next phase will be used to enhance this work and further improve management of certain invasive species.

A tournament registration form is available online. For more information visit the Facebook event page at www.facebook.com/events/1199834114116962 or email Bressman at nrbressman@salisbury.edu.