Kaplan, La - Louisiana is typically known for its tropical climate but in recent years, scorching heat and little to no rain has affected more than just crops.
“This year is going to be a real challenge because the crawfish just won’t be there,” said Crawfish Haven/Mrs. Roses Bed & Breakfast Owner Barry Toups.
Last summer, south Louisiana experienced a record 99 days of consecutive temperatures surpassing 90 degrees and it’s affecting one of Louisiana’s largest industries, crawfish.
With rainfall down 44 percent since last year, locals are wondering if it’s too late? For many, it’s hard to imagine a spring without crawfish but for crawfish farmers like Barry, this is his harsh reality.
“On a normal basis like this upcoming Mardi Gras week, we would get an average 6-8 excursions on a weekend. I’m lucky if we do one this year because the crawfish is not there,” he said.
Barry says he’s seen a significant decline in crawfish. “We would pray every week that it would rain but that didn’t happen.”
Mrs. Roses Bed & Breakfast located in Kaplan is known for their popular ecotourism excursions where individuals can haul in their own catch. KATC got a firsthand look at the challenges farmers in this area are facing.
This time last year, Barry had an estimated 250 pounds of crawfish. He says he’s lucky if he gets 100 pounds by the end of this season. After hauling and weighing the crawfish, we were only able to catch four pounds.
“What killed us this year was the drought and the ground cracking. If you tried to flood your fields in those conditions you would have to put so much water to wet the levy’s on the side but then the crawfish would start coming out and you would lose them because it’s too hot,” he tells KATC.
With high demand and low supply, this profitable industry is suffering. According to Wildlife and Fisheries, Louisiana’s crawfish industry contributes more than $300 million to the state's economy annually but at this rate, there’s no telling how much it will produce.
Barry tells KATC, “we’re going to just make due, hopefully maybe the government can come in and help us a little bit because some people are going to go under.”
Another challenge, the cost of crawfish. With crawfish prices nearly doubling, crawfish lovers are put in a tough spot.
Last February in Lafayette, the average price per pound was six dollars. According to the Crawfish App operated by Ryan and Laney King it’s currently about $12 per pound.
“We’re just not catching. On a normal basis a catch would be half a pound to a pound, we just can’t control it. We just don’t have crawfish to put out there on the market.”
While this season is looking grim, farmers like Barry are hopeful things will turn around.
