Influence of water quality, local knowledge and river–floodplain connectivity on commercial wild crayfish harvesting in the Atchafalaya River Basin

Abstract

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History and ecology of wild‐captured crawfish in Louisiana

“…Our work builds on recent efforts by Vargas-Lopez et al ( 2020) to better quantify the effects of environmental conditions on crawfish abundance and harvest. Vargas-Lopez et al (2020) found that floodplain connectivity plays a role in harvesters' behaviors. The positive association that we documented between river stage and harvest aligns with the findings of Vargas-Lopez et al ( 2020) on the importance of hydrology for crawfish.…”

“…However, many other factors outside the scope of our study likely influence crawfish abundance and harvest. The exact conditions present where traps are fished, such as depth and turbidity, are known to be meaningful factors (Vargas-Lopez et al 2020), but they are not documented in landings. Market price is another factor that certainly influences effort and landings; 90% of the crawfish supply comes from aquaculture, so price may be considered an external force to the wild-capture fishery.…”

“…Our work builds on recent efforts by Vargas‐Lopez et al. (2020) to better quantify the effects of environmental conditions on crawfish abundance and harvest. Vargas‐Lopez et al.…”

“…Louisiana is well known for its crawfish production (commonly the red swamp crawfish Procambarus clarkii, referred to here as "crawfish," the regional name), which is comprised of harvest from both the aquaculture and wild-capture sectors. Crawfish aquaculture constitutes the majority of the market; however, recent work has begun to document the local knowledge and environmental drivers (e.g., floodplain connectivity) that operate in the wild-capture crawfish fishery (Vargas-Lopez et al 2020). Recreational and commercial fishermen have harvested crawfish from the lower Mississippi River floodplain since at least the late 1800s.…”

“…Crawfish aquaculture constitutes the majority of the market; however, recent work has begun to document the local knowledge and environmental drivers (e.g., floodplain connectivity) that operate in the wild‐capture crawfish fishery (Vargas‐Lopez et al. 2020). Recreational and commercial fishermen have harvested crawfish from the lower Mississippi River floodplain since at least the late 1800s.…”