‘Emile the Crawfish’ pardoned

Louisiana’s Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser pardoned a crawfish named Emile Feb. 20 during a New Orleans ceremony to kick off the annual boil season. It was the second annual pardoning of the crawfish sponsored by Zatarain's. The ceremony is a Louisiana twist on the traditional turkey pardoning at the White House prior to Thanksgiving. More than 30 species can be found in Louisiana, according to Brac Salyers, a biologist with Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LW&F), but only two species – red swamp and white river crawfish - are commercially harvested. Native Americans have consumed crawfish for centuries. In Louisiana, commercial harvesting dates to the late-1800s. But farming of crawfish didn't come around until the 1950s. Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, and the Carolinas also farm crawfish. Louisiana is the top producer, accounting for up to 95 percent, according to industry officials. Crawfish season typically begins in the spring and runs until late-July. High demand has driven some farmers to harvest earlier in recent years. At the pardoning, Emile was escorted down a red carpet in a crawfish trap to the tunes of a Zydeco band before being placed into an aquarium. The pardoned crawfish will be released at Bayou Segnette State Park by the LW&F. (Source: NOLA.com 02/20/18)