Any Louisiana seafood lover will agree— the 2024 crawfish season has been far from normal.
As farmers battled with drought and saltwater intrusion in the fall, mudbug prices have stayed higher than average for most of the season, and the yield for many in the seafood industry has been significantly smaller.
What does all of this mean for the end of the season? Will prices stay as low as they are now, or will we run out of crawfish early?
The answer, according to experts, varies depending on a wide range of factors, from location to simple economics.
Though generally, the effects of a poor start to the season are likely still being felt by many, even as the end of the season begins to feel more normal.
Here's what you can expect as crawfish season winds down.
Crawfish supply in Louisiana
Experts like Greg Lutz, an aquaculture extension specialist at LSU Ag Center, predict that a number of south Louisiana farmers will soon begin running out of crawfish .
Don Benoit, owner of D&T Crawfish in Abbeville, said he saw just 30% of his normal yield in April. That outcome was still better than he initially anticipated in March, when Benoit feared he would run out before summer.
Still, it's not likely that we'll see an abrupt halt in crawfish availability, says Todd Fontenot, LSU Ag Center crawfish agent.
Crawfish farmers in southern most parts of the state, Fontenot says, were affected more significantly by the drought and saltwater intrusion than some of their counterparts in the north. Because of this, farmers in areas like Rapides Parish saw less of a dip in their yield and experienced closer-to- normal season.
The further north you travel in Louisiana, the later the crawfish season starts and ends.
That's why the beginning of the season saw such a scarcity of crawfish and such extraordinary prices, as the farmers who are typically able to begin harvesting earliest were the ones hit hardest.
Wild crawfish in the Atchafalaya River Basin have provided a supply boost for Benoit, who distributes and processes crawfish.
However, wild-caught crawfish have yet to add a significant boost to the overall crawfish market, Fontenot and Lutz agree.
Water levels in the Basin have not been high enough to flood the area for the crawfish to come out of their burrows, according to Lutz.
Lutz says the wild crawfish were likely also impacted by drought conditions.
Economics at play
Ultimately, the length of time crawfish will continue to be available all comes down to economics.
Many farmers and distributors are already selling for very thin profit margins, said Lutz, as they attempt to recoup some of the additional costs from the season's poor start.
Eventually as prices continue to drop and fishermen aren't able to catch as many crawfish in their traps, it won't make sense to continue.
"It's only got to drop a little bit farther and it literally won't make economic sense for these guys to run their traps," Lutz said, "which is what caused our problem early in the season."
What about next crawfish season?
As the season winds down, farmers also need to start setting themselves up for 2025 and purchase mature adults to start stocking their ponds.
Stocking usually raises prices because farmers looking for live adults are competing with other distributors for whatever crawfish is available at that time, according to Fontenot.
For stocking to start, rice crops growing in ponds need to be abundant and healthy for the new crawfish. Fontenot said ponds aren't quite there yet in Louisiana.
Where prices stand
Prices for boiled and live crawfish still vary by week and by area.
You can search for crawfish prices at local restaurants using The Crawfish App, which updates prices every Friday.
Here's a breakdown of boiled crawfish prices in different Louisiana cities as of early May:
New Orleans
Prices in New Orleans range from about $3 to $8 per pound, with an average of $5 per pound.
Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge prices range from $4 to $8 per pound. A majority of seafood restaurants were selling boiled crawfish for about $6 per pound.
Lafayette
In Lafayette, $5 to $6 per pound seemed to be the average price, though prices range from $4 to $9 per pound.
Shreveport
Average Shreveport prices were $5 to $6 per pound.