Louisiana’s seafood producers have long braved harsh conditions to bring their catches to our plates. Aside from the hazards of the job, they have also had to navigate increasingly challenging market conditions over the past two decades as cheap imports have flooded the U.S., pushing down prices. Since 2021, the U.S. shrimp industry has lost almost half of its market value, according to the Southern Shrimp Alliance.
Read MoreAt this time of year, you may see alligators out of the water more than usual, but experts warn that there may be a reason for it.
June, July and August aren’t just the hottest months in Louisiana, they are also prime time for alligator egg hatching.
Read MoreA closely watched study of how many redfish and other species the industrial menhaden industry nets and ultimately kills off of Louisiana’s coast shows the numbers are not as bad as some had feared, but recreational anglers called the results concerning nonetheless.
Industry officials pointed to the study as evidence that they did not deserve to be vilified, particularly given their economic contributions to the state. Conservationists highlighted the effects on redfish in particular while calling for further precautions.
Read MoreNot all jewels shine deep-green like emeralds or have the sparkle of diamonds. Some tumble from algae-coated cages in a rush of rock and shell, briny water splashing alongside them onto the boat deck.
These fine commodities are oysters, grown and harvested just off Louisiana’s coastline. Traditionally, they’ve been farmed on seafloor beds, but some producers are now cultivating oysters in a string of floating cages.
Read MoreTesting continues across the state to ensure that local restaurants advertising that they are serving authentic Gulf shrimp are doing so. But one Louisiana city just received some poor marks in a recent round of testing.
Read MoreWhile it’s the time of year when many crawfish lovers would mourn, as the season usually comes to an end, this year is different. After an epic season, a plentiful one that has been unusually extended, the season is still ongoing.
“We’ve had a record-breaking season this year,” stated Louisiana Crawfish Company, adding that record production has been achieved across the board. To add to the abundance, the company states that fishermen are reporting that weather conditions are pointing toward an extended season.
Read MoreAs crawfish season comes to a close across south Louisiana, farmers like Jonathan Fontenot in Evangeline Parish are already thinking about next year’s catch.
At least for K&K Ag Partnership where he works, Fontenot says the season has been a good one.
Read MoreSandy Nguyen has strong opinions about where the best shrimp in the US is produced.
A second-generation shrimper in New Orleans, Nguyen maintains “our [Louisiana] shrimp tastes better than Florida shrimp or Mississippi shrimp or Texas shrimp.”
Read MoreElizabeth Robinson enters a cool, damp room with fluorescent lights and dozens of large plastic bags holding liquid ranging from pastel yellow to dark rust.
It's not the typical image associated with Louisiana's oyster industry. But the lab and its process of growing algae play a key role in the nascent off-bottom oyster farming industry that's been expanding on and around Grand Isle over the past few years.
Read MoreCrawfish is a Louisiana staple. To find out why locals are so passionate about these little crustaceans, I stopped by the Third Annual City of Lights Crawfish Boil Cookoff in Natchitoches. What I discovered was more than just a love for the “mudbugs” it was a celebration of flavor, community, and tradition.
Read MoreMost of us like to know what we’re eating and where it came from, especially when it comes to shrimp. Louisiana law even requires that all restaurants proclaim if they use imported shrimp. However, a shrimp testing group visited several restaurants across the state and discovered that proximity doesn’t equal authenticity.
Read MoreThe Louisiana inland shrimp season has opened. Shrimpers’ spirits and catches are down as cheaper imported shrimp keep flowing into the country.
Those imported shrimp left domestic shrimpers hoping for tariffs. They got their wish in April — just before the inland shrimping season opened — when U.S. President Donald Trump placed tariffs on many foreign goods.
Read MoreA sweeping overhaul of Louisiana's seafood safety regulations is headed to the governor’s desk, following final legislative approval of a bill that transfers oversight responsibilities from the state’s tourism agency to the Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
House Bill 652, authored by Rep. Timothy Kerner, R-Lafitte, dissolves the current Seafood Safety Task Force under the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism and reestablishes it within the Agriculture Department.
Read MoreNot all jewels have the deep green features of emeralds or sparkle of diamonds. Some tumble from algae-coated cages in a rush of rock and shell, briny water splashing alongside them onto the deck of a boat.
Read MoreA man from Echo was arrested after a local farmer reported crawfish thefts, according to the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office.
RPSO received the first complaint from the Cheneyville/Echo area on April 26, stating multiple traps were emptied from the previous night and the suspect appeared to have used the farmer’s boat.
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