WICOMICO COUNTY, MD - Fishers cast their lines at the 3rd annual Nanticoke River Invasive Fishing Derby at Cherry Beach Park in Sharptown on Saturday.
The free annual event, presented by Salisbury University, looks to combat invasive species in local waterways. During the derby, fishing hobbyists and professionals alike caught blue catfish and northern snakeheads.
The derby kicked off at 5AM and participants fished until weigh-ins at 1:30PM. The event included awards, data collection, invasive species educational lessons and more.
Dr. Noah Bressman, an assistant professor of biology studies at Salisbury University organizes the event every year. Dr. Bressman says that “We really want to spread awareness in local waterway communities about what fish are invasive, and how they can minimize the population to relieve some pressure from striped bass and blue crabs, whose populations are on the decline".
A portion of all the blue catfish and northern snakeheads caught in the derby were provided to Dr.Bressman's lab so continued research can be done to learn more about their effects on the local ecosystem. Their research includes growth speed, reproduction rates, and focusing on diet.
Third time Invasive Fishing Derby participant, Kristen Lycett spoke to WBOC about the importance of the tournament. Lycett said she knows her rod alone won't catch all of the invasive fish, but the recent increase in tournaments is exciting for fishers. She said, "we've seen an increase in invasive species tournaments and this is one of the first ones that I knew about. I know this year there have already been several and there are still more to go this year so that's awesome." Lycett also discussed how the event is fun for anyone looking to get out on the water, "this is a low-stakes fun way to get involved in competitive fishing"..."this is a great place to get started if you're interested in fishing".
