Amid a crawfish shortage in Louisiana, the nation's top producer of the crustaceans that are a staple in Gulf Coast seafood boils, Gov. Jeff Landry issued a disaster declaration for the impacted industry Wednesday. Last year's drought, extreme heat, saltwater intrusion on the Mississippi River, and a hard winter freeze have devastated this year's crawfish harvest and led to significant price hikes for those purchasing "mudbugs," the AP reports. Landry says the shortage is not only affecting Louisiana's economy but also "our way of life." "All 365,000 crawfish acres in Louisiana have been affected by these conditions," he said in a statement. "The crawfish industry needs all the support it can get right now."
Landry's disaster declaration, which is the legal underpinning that assists in securing federal resources, comes shortly after a request from Louisiana's congressional delegation seeking to unlock federal aid to help farmers back in their home state. During a typical year, Louisiana generates anywhere from 175 million to 200 million pounds of crawfish— contributing $500 million to the state's economy annually, according to the governor's office. However, amid severe drought in 2023 and extreme heat, typically one of the wettest states in the country saw some of its driest conditions. As a result, the weather dried out the soil where crawfish burrow to lay eggs.
The Louisiana State University's Agriculture Center estimates the potential losses to the state's crawfish industry to be nearly $140 million. "Louisiana's crawfish industry is more than an economic driver for our state—it is a deep part of our cultural heritage," said Mike Strain, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. Crawfish boils are especially popular during Carnival season, but Strain said some Mardi Gras celebrations this year continued without chowing down on crawfish, which were scarce and unaffordable for many.
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