Olde Hornet
Well-Known Member
The Cajun delicacy, however, is on the brink. At least this year, diners with a craving for the crustaceans could come up empty. And if you're lucky enough to belly up to a pot stuffed with the suckers, it might cost an arm and a leg.
Also known as crayfish, mudbugs, crawdads, yabbies, and perhaps a dozen other names, crawfish will be in short supply, National Geographic reported Feb. 15. Backyard boilers, beware.
What has cost $2 or $3 per pound along the Gulf Coast over the last few years is now $10 to $20. "Scientists describe the toll on crawfish as one of climate change's impact on food systems," according to Nat Geo.
Crawfish season is just beginning — harvested from November to July, the spiny lobsters in the South are usually combined with red potatoes and corn on the cob, boiled in Cajun spices, and dumped onto a table for easy pickings or served in simple baskets at shack-style restaurants.
Nat Geo reported the 500% increase will be borne by blue-collar producers, restaurant owners, processors, and delivery truck drivers.
"We've only had 14 days of fishing under our belt since the first of the year, totaling about 2,500 pounds," fourth-generation crawfish farmer Zachary Hebert said. "I haven't even done the numbers, to be honest, because I just don't want to look at them.