MARYLAND - October 1st marked the first day that the Northern Snakehead fish's new name, the 'Chesapeake Channa', took effect in Maryland.
The name change comes after a law was proposed and passed by Maryland legislators earlier this year.
According to officials at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the name change hopes to make the invasive species sound more appetizing. Officials say this, in turn, will hopefully curb the population in Maryland's waterways.
Mason Little is the owner of Choptank River Crab and Oyster Company in Cambridge. Little said the Chesapeake Channa, or Northern Snakehead, is one of their best sellers among both restaurants and individual customers.
"We probably sell upwards to about 100 pounds of snakehead filets out of here," Little said. "Which is surprising to a lot of people. They're ugly but delicious."
Little told WBOC that even he was nervous to try the fish at first, but that the seafood market likely won't change the name anytime soon.
"I think for some people it'll ease their mind a little bit about eating the fish," Little said. "But I think the snakehead gives a little bit of shock factor and it's the best description for it."
Karen Baez, who works at the seafood market, said they've started to receive some calls asking for the Channa rather than the Snakehead. Baez said she thinks both names work, but in different settings.
"I think around here some of the restaurants definitely like the shock factor," Baez said. "But I think if you go to a higher end restaurant they're gonna wanna have a professional name for it."
Eric Sanner is a regular at the market from Cambridge. Sanner said he's had the fish a few times before and has enjoyed it.
"It's a little off-putting as snakehead," Sanner said. "My wife and I had suggested that we really need to change the name of it. I see that's happened and I think it's a great idea."
Officials from the Maryland DNR said that they have begun to change over their rhetoric from 'Northern Snakehead' to the 'Chesapeake Channa'.
According to leaders from the department, they say they will no longer use the name 'Northern Snakehead' after January 1st, 2025.
