Manitoba will allow commercial fishers to sell channel catfish — but only directly to consumers.

At the behest of fishers, Manitoba Sustainable Development has cleared up muddy rules governing the capture and sale of channel catfish.

Up until Dec. 1, when the province introduced new fish-marketing regulations, commercial fishers in Manitoba were allowed to keep any channel cats — among the largest fish in the province's rivers and lakes — that wound up in their nets. They could sell the creatures, in whole or in part, directly to consumers.

The Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation did not purchase channel cats because the species is not kosher. The federal Crown corporation's Winnipeg processing plant is a kosher facility.

But the end of Freshwater Fish's monopoly on export sales late in 2017 created the potential for commercial channel catfish sales. To close that theoretical loophole, the province added channel catfish to the list of species that could not be sold commercially.

On Wednesday, the province announced it will allow commercial fishers to keep channel catfish bycatch and sell it directly to consumers. The sale of channel cats to restaurants, stores and fish dealers remains illegal.

"This will provide a balance between commercial fishing interests, which remains relatively limited and protecting the trophy channel catfish fishery on the Red River," a statement from the province's Sustainable Development Department said Wednesday.

The move garnered criticism. University of Winnipeg ecologist Scott Forbes called the change a terrible decision.

"It threatens a $15-million recreational fishery on the Red River for a few thousands of dollars for commercial fishers," Forbes tweeted Wednesday. "Bad economics. Bad biology. Bad political decision."

The province also announced new regulations intended "to reduce red tape" for commercial fishers who only sell their catch to Manitoba restaurants, community centres and grocery stores.

"These fishers will be required to become fish dealers but will have streamlined reporting requirements," the province's statement said.