Louisiana Crawfish

Introduction

The Louisiana crawfish fishery harvests red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii) and white river crawfish (Procambarus zolangulus) in Louisiana state territorial waters and are farm-raised in freshwater areas of the state. Crawfish can commonly be found in ditches, rivers, lakes and streams, frequently burrowing in the bottom sediment. Red swamp crawfish prefer swampy habitats, while white river crawfish prefer flooded wetlands, sometimes overlapping in range with the red swamp habitat. While there are numerous species of crawfish, these are the only two of commercial significance.

Louisiana is the largest supplier of crawfish in the country, with over 1000 fishermen and 1300 crawfish farms landing 100-120 million pounds with a $300 million economic impact annually. LDWF manages the wild fishery while the Louisiana Department of Agriculture manages the farm-raised crawfish industry. The life history of crawfish makes them resistant to fishing pressure, and the fishery is highly environmentally driven. Most crawfish are harvested or farmed from December to July with peak season typically being from March until May.