Gloucester seafood company awarded $250K from Gov. Youngkin’s catfish grant program

Inaugural funding of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Blue Catfish Processing, Flash Freezing, and Infrastructure Grant Program has awarded $250,000 to Sea Farms Inc.

Funding will enable the company, which has facilities in Gloucester and Mathews counties, to increase capacity and expand purchasing of blue catfish from local watermen by modernizing equipment and storage space with a new blast freezer. Increased purchase of blue catfish removes an invasive species from Virginia waterways.

“This funding is crucial to the expansion of Sea Farms, as it will allow us to buy and sell larger quantities of blue catfish, hire additional employees, and support the local fishing community,” Sea Farms Vice President of Operations Chris Sopko said. “I would like to thank Gov. Youngkin and his administration for this funding and support of Virginia’s seafood industry.”

Sea Farms is a family-owned and operated aquaculture and seafood processing business that opened its doors in 1987. The company maintains an on-site aquaculture farm to grow oysters from larvae to maturity and operates a year-round shellfish facility for shucking and packaging shell oysters and clams. The seafood processing plant processes and distributes a variety of fish, including salmon, tuna, halibut, mahi and swordfish. Sea Farms began processing wild-caught blue catfish in 2018 and is a certified USDA-approved catfish processor. Through its on-site distribution and logistics center, Sea Farms supplies products to local markets throughout Virginia and to entities along the East Coast.

“This grant funding will help to turn the invasive blue catfish into a valuable commercial seafood product. The award not only benefits Sea Farms, but also local watermen who currently limit their catch due to limited processing availability,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr.

The Governor’s Blue Catfish Processing, Flash Freezing, and Infrastructure Grant Fund was established during the 2023 General Assembly session to address the overpopulation of the invasive blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay. The program is part of a larger effort by state agencies to combat a species wreaking havoc on Virginia’s ecosystems by incentivizing local watermen to catch and sell an abundant, inexpensive fish for consumer consumption.

“I am pleased that this innovative funding will help mitigate the impact of blue catfish on our coastal ecosystems and turn this delicious fish into an economic driver in Virginia’s coastal communities,” Youngkin said. “The blue catfish has become abundant in Virginia waterways and this increased processing capacity will bring more catfish to markets and restaurant tables up and down the East Coast. I encourage all Virginians to give this nutritious fish a try.”

According to Gloucester Director of Economic Development Sherry Spring, the department applauds Sea Farms “for their dedication to our waterways. Their commitment and partnership will make a positive impact in the communities surrounding the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.”