Natural Resources - Blue Catfish - Population Control

HB 1249 creates a new commercial license for harvesting blue and flathead catfish in Chesapeake Bay tidal waters. It allows license holders to use finfish trotlines up to 2,400 feet long, removes limits on hook numbers, and permits non-corrosive hooks - while requiring the Department of Natural Resources to establish a pilot program using electrofishing. The license costs $15 annually and is valid from September 1 to August 31. The bill also mandates a 2025 report to the legislature on harvesting, processing, marketing, and financing for blue catfish. This directly affects commercial fishermen targeting these species in the Chesapeake Bay.