Crawfish season is officially underway, but a recent cold front has caused some temporary delays.
Last week, Louisiana’s crawfish crops were covered in ice and snow, creating challenges for farmers and restaurants. Some crawfish restaurants had already opened before the cold front, and farmers are optimistic that once warmer weather returns, conditions will improve.
Read MoreThings are returning to normal now that the ice has melted away from last week’s blizzard. Many people are wondering what that means for crawfish season. Scott Broussard, a crawfish farmer in Crowley and the owner of Acadia Crawfish Company, said the cold had impacted their daily catch.
Read MoreAs south Louisiana begins to thaw out after the historic arctic blast and double-digit inches of snowfall in many crawfish-producing parishes, many are wondering if there will be a repeat of 2024 that saw small harvests and high prices due to the previous year’s drought. LSU AgCenter researchers are cautiously optimistic that there is barely a snowball’s chance in Acadiana of that happening.
Read MoreWhat will the 2025 snowstorm and cold temperatures mean for the upcoming crawfish season? LSU AgCenter crawfish expert Mark Shirley says the mudbugs will bury themselves as deep into the mud as they can.
“It’s not going to kill the crawfish, but it will significantly reduce their movements. So, I think the supply of crawfish over the next several days, well, probably for the next week or so, is going to be a shorter supply of crawfish,” Shirley said.
Read MoreA new law requiring restaurants in Louisiana to tell their customers the specific country of origin of any seafood being served is causing some confusion among state officials and industry leaders.
Act 148 of the 2024 regular legislative session brought sweeping changes to laws affecting restaurants and other food establishments in an effort to protect Louisiana’s struggling domestic seafood industry. However, the new law, which took effect Jan. 1, could undergo some clarification revisions when lawmakers reconvene this spring. At issue are several provisions concerning menu and labeling requirements.
Read MoreCrawfish aquaculture is the most profitable aquaculture endeavor in Louisiana, representing roughly 69% of the total gross farm value generated across all commercial aquaculture enterprises in 2022, according to the Louisiana Summary Agriculture and Natural Resources 2022. Crawfish producers in south Louisiana create a suitable wetland habitat for crawfish to survive, reproduce and grow to harvest size in shallow water impoundments used for both crawfish and rice.
Read MoreLouisiana’s new law that requires that imported seafood be clearly labeled on packaging and menus will start to be enforced by the Louisiana Department of Health.
Act 372 mandates that if a retailer, restaurant, or supplier is selling imported shrimp, crawfish or other seafood it must clearly be labeled. The state Department of Agriculture will begin looking for such labels during their regular weights and measures checks.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant will hold the Louisiana Regional Fisheries Summit March 25 in Slidell.
The daylong event, which will focus on freshwater impacts in the Pontchartrain Basin, will provide information relevant to the commercial and recreation-for-hire fishing industries.
Read MoreWhile this year’s crawfish harvest is projected to be a successful one, LSU AgCenter Aquaculture Specialist Mark Shirley says it could be compromised with the upcoming freezing cold temperatures.
“Usually when we have cold weather like we’re expecting next week, it probably will slow down the catch for several days,” Shirley said.
Read MoreA new law is now in affect across the state requiring restaurants to provide transparency on where they are sourcing their seafood.
Louisiana Law Act 148 became effective on Jan. 1, and requires restaurants that serve seafood to have the origins of their seafood listed on their menus.
Read MoreOn a warm Saturday in October, conservationist Dean Wilson guided his boat through a channel in the Atchafalaya Basin, pointing out hollowed-out Bald cypress trees where minks, raccoons and otters nest during high water.
The basin is the largest remaining contiguous track of wetland forest in North America — and a place Wilson knows well.
Read MoreThe U.S. International Trade Commission recently approved tariffs on frozen warm water shrimp imports from Ecuador, India, Vietnam and Indonesia, aiming to counteract the damage these imports are inflicting on the domestic shrimping industry.
David Chauvin, a Louisiana-based seafood company owner, highlighted the disparity.
Read MoreMove over, Christmas – crawfish season has arrived.
It’s here much earlier than usual, as harvesting operations across the state usually begin around January.
This is great news for fans of crawdads, especially compared to last year when a severe drought affected crawfish farms across the state, leading to a surge in prices and shorter inventory.
Read MoreLast year's crawfish season faced many challenges due to drought and extreme temperatures, leading to a sharp decline in the harvest. However, local crawfish farmers are feeling optimistic about this upcoming season due to early signs of a stronger season.
Read MoreAs the holiday season approaches, Louisiana is gearing up for the return of one of its most beloved traditions soon after: crawfish season. While it’s not quite here yet, experts are optimistic that the 2025 season will bring an early and plentiful harvest, a welcome change from last year’s challenges.
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