Reeling in Results: Invasive Fish Removal at Conowingo Dam Benefits Maryland Waters

MARYLAND News (7/22/2024) – In an update to Radio Free Hub City’s previous coverage regarding invasive fish species in Maryland, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced that thousands of invasive fish were extracted from the Chesapeake Bay watershed at the Conowingo Dam earlier this year. This initiative, running from March to June 2024, was a collaboration between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Constellation Energy, Normandeau Associates Inc., and J.J. McDonnell and Co. Inc. Over 18,000 pounds of invasive fish were successfully removed and repurposed, benefiting local food banks and ongoing scientific research.

The Conowingo Dam, spanning the Susquehanna River between Cecil and Harford counties, is equipped with fish lifts designed to aid migrating species such as American shad in their journey upstream. However, these lifts also capture invasive species, which are then manually extracted by technicians. This season, the operation intercepted 2,106 northern snakehead (Chesapeake Channa), 746 flathead catfish, and 36 blue catfish, more than doubling the previous highest annual removal of northern snakehead since the program’s inception in 2021.

A significant portion of the harvested fish was processed for consumption by J.J. McDonnell and distributed to local food banks in Cecil County. Additionally, some fish were retained by the DNR for outreach and research purposes, aiming to mitigate the ecological and economic threats posed by these invasive species.

The DNR emphasizes the importance of managing these invasive populations, which prey on native aquatic species and lack natural predators. Anglers are encouraged to harvest and report catches of these species using the Invasive Species Tracker form on the DNR website. This coordinated effort highlights the power of partnerships in protecting Maryland’s aquatic ecosystems, and is a step towards making sure the harvesting of invasive species helps combat food insecurity and waste in Maryland.

Looking for a recipe for wild caught catfish? Try substituting a wild caught catfish for the farm raised catfish in our recipe!