Maryland Schools Serve Invasive Blue Catfish In Population-Control Initiative
Maryland schools, including Preston Elementary, are serving invasive blue catfish, nicknamed 'catty patties', as part of an initiative to control the fish population. These fish, which threaten native species in the Chesapeake Bay, are also a tasty and sustainable food…
Washington, DC, October 27, 2026 —
Some Maryland schools, including Preston Elementary, are serving blue catfish as part of an initiative aimed at controlling the fish population. The fish, nicknamed “catty patties” in this effort, are invasive and threaten native species in the Chesapeake Bay, according to the trend summary.
The initiative presents the fish as both an environmental concern and a food source. Students are being encouraged to help “eat the problem,” with blue catfish described in the summary as a tasty and sustainable option. The summary does not provide details about the meals or how the fish are prepared.
Blue catfish are being served in schools as a way to connect food with efforts to address their population. However, the information provided does not specify how the initiative is organized, how many schools are participating beyond naming Preston Elementary, or how much fish is being served. It also does not give a start date or describe any measured effect on the population.
The summary does not identify the agencies or organizations involved, explain how the fish are sourced, or provide details about student participation or responses. It also does not include quotes from school officials, students, or fisheries experts. Those details were not provided, so the scope and outcomes of the effort cannot be established from the available information.
For now, the reported approach is to serve an invasive fish in school meals while encouraging students to view eating it as one contribution to addressing a Chesapeake Bay concern. The summary identifies the threat to native species and the intended population-control purpose, but does not provide further information about the initiative’s results.
Story summarized from the original created by Dhackney on wamu.org, see more information here.
