Studies of blue catfish and flathead catfish in the Missouri and Mississippi rivers (big rivers) were prompted by concerns from some anglers about overharvest and inadequate harvest regulations. During 2015 to 2019 blue catfish and flathead catfish fisheries on big rivers were evaluated to estimate exploitation and population demographics. Our studies confirmed that current management approaches support healthy and sustainable populations, and regulation changes do not appear to be necessary to prevent overfishing.
MDC’s Resource Science Division (RSD), Fisheries Division and others have been involved in collecting information on aquatic systems for over 60 years. Much of this information has been entered into electronic databases maintained by RSD staff. Recent advances in electronic database management and communication makes it practical to combine elements of these multiple databases into a single aquatic database. The advantage of accessing information through the RSD-IAD compared to past practices is that access will be instantaneous and the information will be the most current