Louisiana governor issues a disaster declaration for the crawfish industry

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) issued a disaster declaration for the crawfish industry Wednesday, according to a press release.

“Louisiana’s extreme drought conditions have affected our farmers, our economy, and our way of life,” Landry said in a statement in the release. “All 365,000 crawfish acres in Louisiana have been affected by these conditions. That is why I am issuing a disaster declaration. The crawfish industry needs all the support it can get right now.”

Landry’s declaration follows recent letters from Louisiana Reps. Clay Higgins (R) and Troy Carter (D) asking him for a statewide disaster declaration for the state’s crawfish industry. Both Carter and Higgins praised Landry’s issuing of the declaration in their own statements Wednesday.

“My office is committed to the mission of assisting our crawfish industry and will continue to work at the federal level to secure much-needed assistance,” Higgins said in his statement. “Today’s executive order by Governor Landry will help to unlock additional relief for the entire industry, and I appreciate his efforts in protecting our way of life.”

In his statement, Carter thanked Landry for his action and said that crawfish is “more than just a product in Louisiana; it’s a way of life.”

"This is a helping hand for an industry facing an unprecedented economic burden,” Carter said.

In September, President Biden approved a disaster declaration for the Pelican State related to saltwater intrusion into the state's drinking water, partially due to extreme drought. Saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico is usually prevented from getting into the water supply by the flow of the Mississippi River, but it faced at a historic low due to drought and unprecedented heat.