DNR would like you to take blue catfish

[outrider58]

there's a scientific difference between non native and invasive. Most all game fish here are non native but are treated as native because they are not invasive. invasive means they are taking the place of other species. BC do this. Channel, LM and SM bass do not do this. "Not invasive" would probably be a better term than "Honorary native".

Our only real native gamefish in MD is the fallfish

Agreed. When referring to trout, we call them stream bred, not native. They are not detrimental to other fish species, per se, but being born in a given place does not make you "native". That also applies to humans(think land bridges...)

 

[mpollan1]

That also applies to humans(think land bridges...)

My thought(s) went elsewhere

 

[DaveP]

It's only my major in college...what do I know?

Well, since colleges these days are teaching that there are 87 sexes, men can have periods and even babies, I'm not sure
how impressed I should be.

What I'm saying, or at least trying to say, is that a lot of the " science" these days, is a lot more of a flavor of the day thing, than pure science. Agenda driven.

You say LMB are not invasive because they do not take the place of other, presumably native, species. They are ambush predators, like our more recent arrival, the snakehead, so similiar niche.

So if snakesheads were introduced long ago, like LMB were, and LMB were recent arrivals, via the Crofton pond, then Patuxent, then statewide, like the snakehead, would you consider the LMB an invasive? And snakehead to be honorary native/ gamefish/ not invasive?

Remember the villianization, the hysteria surrounding snakeheads? Baddest bunny in the bush. Gonna eat EVERYTHING!!!

Things have evened out. Heck, some lament the apparent decline in snakehead numbers in some areas.

Carp, channels, LMB, SMB, bluecats, snakehead.

Some folks love some, some loathe some.

One man's pleasure is another man's pain.
One man's loss is another man's gain.

Comes a point, social, cultural, economic factors do play a role in deciding which ones are " good" and which are " bad".

And "The Science" reflects that. The terms are a human construct.

For a while, DNR fooled with " naturalized non native" to describe LMB vs bluecats.
But I could see that bunching up some panties these days, what with border situation.

100+ years ago, striper and American Shad eggs got hauled across the country to the west cost via train, in milk cans. Did well, great fishery established out there, with plenty of angler attention.

Some years back, Feds talking about eradicating them, as they were, wait for it, non native...

In the late 70s, MD DNR liberalized the limit on sika deer, a LOT, in what can only be described as an effort to beat down, or even eliminate the population. Now, they're a draw for non res dollars, lots more starting his fall. Back in the 1950s, Vaughn Flyger wrote that he believed MD had something special in sika, and that they might one day be a draw. Turns out, he was right.

Again, perception, cultural, economic, and other factors determine a lot as far as winners and lovers, good and bad.

Regardless, bluecats aren't going anywhere.