When an invasive fish is also tasty, Maryland schoolkids can help 'eat the problem'

Students at Preston Elementary School in Maryland’s Eastern Shore are being enlisted to help manage an invasive fish by literally putting it on their lunch trays. On a Friday at Preston, second-grader Ben Rochon tried a catfish sandwich featuring blue catfish, known as the “catty patty,” and called it “yummy.” School food services, overseen by Beth Brewster for Caroline County Public Schools, began serving the dish a couple of times a month to boost acceptance. The blue catfish is an apex predator that can reach more than 100 pounds, raising concerns that it’s consuming native species. Maryland’s agriculture officials helped spark the effort after about eight years.