September 10, 2026 — Up to $6 million in federal grant funding will be available to help seafood processors expand capacity for handling invasive blue catfish, a move intended to support efforts to remove the species from Chesapeake Bay waterways while creating additional market opportunities for the seafood industry.
The funding is available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program, according to a community announcement. Grants ranging from $50,000 to $2 million may be used to expand facilities, purchase equipment and increase processing capacity for invasive wild-caught catfish.
Applications are due Dec. 7 through grants.gov.
U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Maryland, announced the funding opportunity and said expanding processing capacity could strengthen demand for wild-caught invasive catfish. Harris also said increased harvesting could help reduce the population of blue catfish, which scientists and fisheries managers have identified as a threat to native species in the Chesapeake Bay.