House bill could expand Chesapeake blue catfish use in pet food

A House-passed bill backed by Rep. Sarah Elfreth, the MAWS Act, would create a NOAA pilot program to build a market for invasive Chesapeake Bay blue catfish in pet food, animal feed, and aquaculture feed. The legislation was introduced as H.R. 4294 in July 2025, advanced through committee in January 2026, and passed the House in March 2026. Supporters say the goal is ecological as much as commercial: remove an invasive predator from the Bay while giving watermen and processors another outlet for fish that are hard to sell into the human food market, including very large fish that can be difficult to process for people. The bill itself does not set contaminant thresholds for pet food use, but it does explicitly include pet food manufacturers and processors as eligible participants. (elfreth.house.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the controversy is less about whether blue catfish are invasive and more about how ingredient safety would be managed if this supply expands. Maryland environmental officials have warned that blue catfish can bioaccumulate PCBs and mercury, with human-consumption advisories that vary by fish size and catch location; larger fish, especially over 30 inches, draw particular concern, while some waterways carry stricter advice regardless of size. FDA says pet food, like other animal food, must be safe, produced under sanitary conditions, and contain no harmful substances, and the agency routinely monitors animal food for toxic trace elements including mercury. FDA also notes that dioxins and PCBs in animal food are handled under a patchwork approach, with no FDA tolerances for dioxins in animal food and temporary PCB tolerances in regulation. That leaves a practical question for clinics, nutrition teams, and pet parents: if more Bay-caught fish enters pet food channels, what contaminant testing, sourcing controls, size limits, trimming practices, and disclosure standards will manufacturers apply? (fda.gov)

What to watch: Watch the Senate, any implementing language from NOAA or FDA, and whether manufacturers or regulators spell out contaminant testing expectations before the pilot program’s planned January 1, 2027 start. Another key issue is whether companies disclose where fish were caught and whether higher-risk portions or larger fish are excluded from pet food use. (congress.gov)