Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., expressed support on Mar. 12 for Maryland blue catfish processors who have raised concerns about the proposed Mitigation Action and Watermen Support (MAWS) Act. The legislation was introduced by Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth and co-led by Congressman Robert Wittman.
A coalition of small, family-owned seafood processors in Maryland sent a letter warning that the MAWS Act could threaten their efforts to build a commercial market for wild-caught blue catfish. These businesses are currently among the only facilities in Maryland processing blue catfish for grocery stores, restaurants, and other seafood markets. According to the coalition’s letter, the bill could redirect blue catfish away from food markets toward uses such as pet food and other byproducts.
Harris said, “Seafood processors on the Eastern Shore have spent years developing commercial markets for wild-caught blue catfish. Their work helps remove an invasive species from the Chesapeake Bay while supporting watermen, seafood businesses, and local jobs. I was proud to champion an effort that created a new grant program through USDA to support their navigation of a cumbersome federal regulatory process by expanding specialized processing facilities for this wild-caught catfish – the first grant awards just being announced in recent weeks.”
He continued, “Now is not the time to undercut the great work of these small businesses and existing investments made by the taxpayers by subsidizing the purchase of product suitable for human consumption for the sole benefit of pet-food companies – especially when these processors are already selling fish byproducts unsuitable for human consumption for the purposes of conversion into pet food. While the MAWS Act may be a well-intentioned proposal to combat the blue-catfish crisis, I cannot support it. I stand with the small business owners raising these concerns and will continue fighting to protect the market they’ve worked so hard to create.”
Harris is currently serving in Congress representing Maryland’s 1st district after replacing Frank Kratovil in 2011 according to available records. He has served in Congress since 2011 and previously held positions in both chambers of Maryland’s state legislature according to public information. Harris was born in New York City in 1957 and now lives in Cambridge; he graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor of Science degree.
