Directs the Secretary of Commerce to run a pilot program that pays pet food, animal feed, and aquaculture feed makers to buy blue catfish caught by watermen in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, with the goal of reducing the invasive fish population.

• Requires the Secretary of Commerce, through NOAA, to set up cooperative agreements letting covered pet food, animal feed, and aquaculture feed manufacturers buy blue catfish from watermen and seafood processors, at a minimum price per pound the Secretary sets.
• Requires NOAA to develop and publish annual estimates of the blue catfish population in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed through fiscal year 2032, using data gathered with Maryland, Virginia, and research institutions.
• Allows participating buyers to use up to 15 percent of award funds to cover transportation costs, and requires watermen and processors to certify where the fish were caught.
• Requires a report to Congress after the pilot ends covering fish populations, participant earnings, market response, and recommendations for expanding the program to other watersheds.

• Natural Resources Committee (House)
• Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee
• Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (Senate)

Public Lands and Natural Resources