Fisheries News

By David A. Bourgeois

Crawfish Outlook for 2007

Whether you like them fried, boiled or in a stew, crawfish are a Louisiana favorite. And for the next several months, crawfish can be found on dinner tables and in backyard boils across the state. For consumers, the good news is that 2007 has brought a new crop, which at this time is ahead of last year’s season.

Crawfishing in Louisiana conjures up images of people maneuvering boats through sloughs and bayous. In reality, most of Louisiana’s crawfish production comes from ponds located in southwest and south central Louisiana. About 1,200 crawfish producers cultivate more than 116,000 acres. About 70 million pounds of pond-raised crawfish are caught, with an economic value of more than $40 million. Much of the wild crawfish crop consists of catches in the Atchafalaya Basin. Nearly 1,100 fishermen harvest more than 8 million pounds of wild crawfish with an economic value of nearly $5 million.

This year’s better start can be traced back to timely summer rains that increased crawfish survival in their burrows and lead to better reproduction. A relative mild winter in late 2006 and early 2007 has crawfish more active and growing – leading to better catches in both quantity and quality. Weather patterns that fluctuate throughout late winter and early spring will play a significant role in the harvest over the coming months.

Some ponds in extreme southwestern Louisiana are still showing residual effects from the storm surge caused by Hurricane Rita. Salt brought in by the surge from the Gulf of Mexico has caused problems with the growth of vegetation vital to crawfish production. Forage crops such as rice or sorghum-sudangrass have not been able to be established in ponds containing elevated levels of salt in the soil.

Rain during the end of December and January has helped keep ponds fresh with good quality water. Ponds dependent upon surface water have an abundant supply available as many bayous and canals are full because of recent rains. Having access to good quality water and a reliable source of water is essential for those ponds that do not have a well to provide water when needed.

While the New Orleans market is not what it was before Hurricane Katrina, it has the potential for growth as more residents return or new ones take up residence in the city. Also, consumers who have moved away from New Orleans, but within range of getting crawfish from Louisiana producers, could give the market an added boost by introducing crawfish to their new friends and neighbors through traditional events called crawfish “boils.” These boils could provide the impetus of marketing crawfish to new locations.

 Crawfish Facts

Louisiana produces 90 percent of the nation’s crawfish, with 70 percent of that being consumed locally.

There are 32 recognized species of crawfish in Louisiana, but only two are considered economically important—red swamp crawfish and white river crawfish. The red swamp crawfish comprises more than 80 percent of the industry catch.

A female crawfish will typically have 300 eggs, but depending on size, she can have a range of 100-700 eggs.

Crawfish have been used as a commercial food source since the early 1800s. It was not until the 1950s that the first experimental crawfish ponds were established.

About 1,200 crawfish producers cultivate more than 116,000 acres in Louisiana.

A select or No. 1 grade crawfish will weigh approximately one ounce.

When the catch is good, traps will contain 1 to 1.5 pounds of crawfish. In some extreme conditions, producers have caught upwards of 6 pounds per trap.

Source: Updated by Linda Benedict, 01/07, www.lsuagcenter.com