Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., said the state legislature has declared May 12 as Crawfish Day at the State Capitol.

“The Acadiana Delegation and the entire legislature are honoring the Louisiana crawfish industry and the efforts of the Louisiana Crawfish Promotion and Research Board to popularize crawfish here in the state, the country and the world,” Strain said. “All you have to say is ‘crawfish’ and people everywhere think of Louisiana.”

The Louisiana Crawfish Promotion and Research Board will provide each legislator with a “Louisiana Crawfish Lover” lapel pin and publicity information about crawfish during the Crawfish Day festivities. 

“The Louisiana crawfish is a great ambassador for the state,” Strain said.
Strain said crawfish is the number one growing cash crop in Louisiana agriculture.

“It still takes a lot of hard, agricultural work to get the catch to the dinner table,” Strain said. “Crawfish harvesting and wild trapping are agricultural endeavors and a tough way to earn a living. We just want to say thanks and honor all the people that are part of this wonderful industry.”

Representative Fred Mills of Breaux Bridge introduced the Crawfish Day resolution to the legislature on May 8 and Secretary of State Jay Dardenne signed the measure last week.

“Crawfish has brought so much positive attention to the state and we are doing everything we can to protect and promote this unique Louisiana industry,” Mills said. “We here in the state know that Louisiana crawfish are the freshest and the best so we’re just trying to draw attention to that.”

Robert P. Romaire, a professor with the LSU AgCenter, estimated that the 2008 crawfish catch contributed more than $390 million to the Louisiana economy.