Drought behind slow start to crawfish season

Durel Romaine started harvesting crawfish in December, and so far the catch has been dismal. His ponds near Kaplan—just southwest of Lafayette—have been affected by drought and salt-water intrusion. “It’s probably one of the worst starts I’ve seen,” Romaine tells the LSU AgCenter. “The buyers I am talking to say they are buying about a third of the crop they bought last year, and last year was one of their worst years ever, so the drought has really affected the crawfish industry this year.” Much of the state experienced hot and dry weather throughout summer and fall, which led to low crawfish reproduction and survival. Salt water has also been a problem for farmers in southwest Louisiana recently. The Leland Bowman locks in Intracoastal City were hit by a barge in September and are allowing salt water to flow into the basin. Leaks along levees and canal banks also let salt water leach into canals and streams. Both issues have been further complicated by drought, according to Mark Shirley, LSU AgCenter coastal area agent in Vermilion Parish. “With the lack of rain the last couple of years, the water level has been lower,” Shirley says. “And with higher tides, it’s just been pumping salt water into the Mermentau Basin, causing salinity levels to rise.” Boiled crawfish in the Baton Rouge area is selling for about $4.50 to $5 per pound, on average. Check out the full story on the LSU AgCenter website here.