USDA opens US$6M funding to expand invasive catfish processing

USA – The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened a US$6 million grant programme to expand processing capacity for invasive wild-caught catfish, supporting the development of new markets while helping remove the species from US waterways.

The funding is being made available through USDA Rural Development’s Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP), under Phase 3 Round 2 of the programme.

The grants will support independent businesses in building and modernising processing facilities, upgrading equipment, adopting new technologies and training workers to increase the capacity and efficiency of invasive wild-caught catfish processing.

USDA said the initiative is intended to support fishermen and watermen by creating new and better markets for invasive catfish while strengthening rural food supply chains.

“By investing in seafood processors, we can help our hardworking watermen remove invasive catfish from our waterways while strengthening the future of our rural communities,” said US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

The programme also aims to address the ecological impact of invasive catfish populations, which USDA said are damaging aquatic ecosystems and threatening the fishing economy.

Funding for processing expansion

Eligible applicants include for-profit and nonprofit businesses, producer-owned cooperatives, corporations, certified benefit corporations, tribal entities, and state or local governments.

Private applicants must be independently owned and operated, while all applicants must be domestically owned. 

Facilities must be located and operating in the US or its territories, have been in business for more than one year, and be engaged in processing invasive wild-caught catfish.

Individual projects can receive between US$50,000 and US$2 million, with successful applicants required to contribute 20% of total project costs.

The investment could help expand processing infrastructure around invasive catfish and create additional commercial outlets for catches, while providing economic opportunities for watermen and rural businesses.

Maryland Rep. Andy Harris said processors on the Eastern Shore were helping turn the invasive species challenge into a commercial opportunity.

“By developing processing capacity for wild-caught catfish, these businesses contribute to job creation, expand opportunities for watermen and seafood suppliers, and strengthen the broader food and agricultural supply chain,” Harris said.

The programme highlights how invasive species management can be linked with commercial processing and the development of new markets for underutilised aquatic resources.

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