Chesapeake Bay Blue Catfish Purchasing

The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service is funding noncompetitive cooperative agreements to purchase and distribute invasive blue catfish harvested from the Chesapeake Bay through food banks and regional processors, with the most recent award dated October 15, 2025 (CFDA 10.196).

This is an extremely early-stage program. The portfolio shows only one award disbursed to date, funded in October 2025, with a performance period extending through December 31, 2026. The single cooperative agreement totals $2 million in federal dollars obligated. No recent grant opportunities have been posted since that award, and the source does not indicate when the next solicitation window will open.

The program funds the purchase, processing, and distribution of wild-caught blue catfish to invasive-species control and food-security objectives. The funded activity involves harvesting more than 280,000 pounds of wild blue catfish from Chesapeake Bay waters, processing the catch through regional facilities, and distributing filets through food bank networks to communities in need. Assistance is restricted to purchase of domestically sourced agricultural commodities for alternative market outlets designated by the Secretary of Agriculture. Recipients must maintain detailed records aligned with AMS grant terms and conditions and submit semi-annual financial and progress reports plus final performance and financial reports, documenting pounds purchased, participating processors and vendors, distribution locations, and expenditures.

The program structure involves collaborative proposal development between AMS and prospective recipients using an AMS-provided template; once both parties are satisfied with the proposal, the cooperative agreement is awarded. A one-year no-cost extension may be requested within 30 days of the performance period end date.

The sole recent award went to the Maryland Department of Agriculture in coordination with the Maryland Food Bank, Capital Area Food Bank, and Western Maryland Food Bank, distributing catfish across three regional networks statewide. Given the program's infancy and the absence of open solicitations in the source, prospects for near-term funding availability are unclear; interested organizations should contact AMS directly to determine eligibility and timing for the next funding cycle.