MAWS Act of 2026

The bill would amend the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Authorization Act of 1992 to require the Secretary of Commerce, acting through NOAA, to establish a pilot program under which NOAA enters cooperative agreements with pet food, animal feed, and aquaculture feed manufacturers or processors ("covered entities"). Those entities would use awarded funds to purchase blue catfish caught in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed from watermen and seafood processors, at a minimum per-pound price NOAA sets based on market factors and stakeholder feedback. NOAA would also enter a memorandum of understanding with Maryland, Virginia, and research institutions to develop annual blue catfish abundance estimates.

The two-year pilot would begin after NOAA publishes its first abundance estimate and issues program guidance, and would run through a defined period with quarterly congressional briefings and a final report. The bill does not fund the program with a specific appropriation, does not regulate blue catfish fishing directly, and does not extend beyond the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, though it directs NOAA to make recommendations about expanding the model to other invasive species and watersheds.

Watermen and seafood processors who catch or handle blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (covering parts of Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.), pet food and animal/aquaculture feed manufacturers eligible to receive cooperative agreements, NOAA, and Maryland and Virginia as research partners.

Watermen would gain a new guaranteed buyer and minimum price for an invasive fish that currently has limited commercial value, potentially increasing their income while helping reduce a species that threatens native Bay fisheries. Manufacturers would receive federal funds to offset purchase and transport costs, and Congress would get data-driven recommendations on whether to expand the approach to other invasive species like Mississippi River carp.

NOAA would first develop an abundance estimate for blue catfish via a memorandum of understanding with Maryland, Virginia, and research institutions, then issue program guidance in consultation with the Chesapeake Bay Program Invasive Catfish Workgroup and other federal agencies. Only after both steps occur would the two-year pilot begin, during which covered entities apply for cooperative agreements, use funds to purchase catfish at NOAA-set minimum prices, and may spend up to 15% on transport. NOAA would brief Congress quarterly during implementation and submit a comprehensive final report, including expansion recommendations, within 180 days after the pilot ends.