Blue Crab Fishing Industry

• Louisiana blue crab fishing is a multimillion dollar industry that contributes over one-third of the entire nation's output of blue crabs. This translates to $300 million for the Louisiana state economy. Commercial fisheries in Louisiana pull in over 44 million pounds of blue crab annually and blue crab fishing is a major source of income for many coastal communities. This industry continues to thrive, despite setbacks caused by Hurricane Katrina and other environmental factors.
  
  

Catching Blue Crabs

• There are a surprisingly wide range of ways to catch blue crabs and the best method depends on whether the fisherman plans to sell the crabs for commercial use or keep them for private consumption. Commercial crabbers tend to use cube-shaped wire mesh traps.The crabs enter the trap through a small door that closes when the trap is raised out of the water. The trap is baited with raw meat. Recreational crabbers often use a single baited line to catch crabs, just as you would to catch a fish, while still others prefer to wade through crab-rich waters with a dip net.
  
  

State Regulations

• The state of Louisiana imposes strict regulations regarding both commercial and recreational blue crab fishing. All commercial fishermen must tag, mark or otherwise identify all harvested crabs intended for sale so that each crab can be traced back to that fisherman directly. All harvested blue crabs must also meet the minimum size requirement of five inches in width to be sold legally. The state also reserves the right to prohibit the use of crab traps for a consecutive 16-day period between February 1 and March 31 of each year. Harvesting of pregnant female crabs is strictly prohibited.
  
  

Required Licensing

• All crabbers must obtain a set of licenses from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. A hook and line license, saltwater license, basic fishing license and crab trap license are all required to catch crabs legally. Louisiana residents pay a total of $32.50, while out-of-state crabbers pay $172.50. These licenses expire each year on June 30. You must obtain a license each year in order to fish for blue crabs or you can apply for a lifetime license ($300 for Louisiana residents over 14 years old, $3,000 for nonresidents). Louisiana residents who are between the ages of 5 and 13 can obtain a lifetime license for $200. Lifetime licenses can be obtained at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in Baton Rouge.
  
  

Uses of Blue Crabs

• Louisiana blue crabs are considered one of the state's many seafood specialties. Harvested crabs are often sold fresh to local seafood restaurants or frozen and shipped all over the United States. Chefs in New Orleans generally boil blue crabs and add heavy cajun seasoning. Blue crabs are also used in traditional local recipes like gumbo soup.
  
  

Effects of Katrina

• Hurricane Katrina had a tremendous impact on the Louisiana State economy, and the blue crab fishing industry is no exception. According to Pete Peterson of the Louisiana Crab Task Force, Louisiana lost 40 percent of its commercial crabbers in the wake of the devastation. Many boats used to partake in commercial crabbing were destroyed during the hurricane. Many commercial crabbers are suffering due to high prices of fuel and competition from cheap foreign imports as well. Luckily the blue crab population has remained stable in the years following Katrina.