Culture of Red Swamp Crawfish,
Procambarus clarkii, in the U. S.
Distribution
Natural habitat - wetlands and swamps in southern
U. S., especially in the Mississippi River drainage.
Dry wetland
Flooded wetland
Food habits - omnivore; small invertebrates,
vegetation, detritus, attached algae
Reproduction
• Sexual maturity - 6 to 8 months
• Male deposits sperm packet in female
• Water Temperature - between 70 and 800F, May and June
in Alabama
• Female borrows into wet soil; eggs are laid and hatch in
borrow; no larval stages, eggs hatch into tiny crawfish
• soils containing borrows must hold water well as crawfish
and eggs must remain moist
• Females and young crawfish leave borrows in Fall during
flooding
Female with young
Chimneys protecting crawfish borrows
Production cycle
1. Ponds drained in late spring to encourage mature
crawfish to mate and borrow
2. A forage crop is planted in dry pond, rice is a common choice.
Rice can be planted only as a forage ( late planting ) or as a
grain crop ( early planting ).
3. Pond is reflooded in the Fall when young crawfish are ready
to forage.
4. Young crawfish forage on decaying vegetation and reach a
harvestable size by early Spring.
Typical crawfish pond design
aerator
drain
supply
pump
recirculation pump
water supply
Crawfish ponds
Pumped well water
splashed over screens to
increase dissolved oxygen
Seeding Rice by
plane
Rice Forage
Aquatic plants as forage
Decaying forage
Paddlewheel aerator to prevent low
dissolved oxygen due to decaying vegetation
Crawfish sample to
check for harvest size
Harvest lane cut
in forage to set traps
Crawfish trap
Running traps
Formulated Bait Pellets
Cut fresh fish bait
Harvest boat
Hydraulic wheels to
move boat
Harvest boat crossing
levee
Producer grading crawfish to
size during harvest
Crawfish yields
800 to 1,000 kg/ha/yr
Harvested crawfish
Purging crawfish after
harvest to clean
intestines
Grading crawfish to
size
Live crawfish
transported to market
Crawfish processing
plant
Peeling crawfish
tail meat
Frozen tail meat
Frozen whole crawfish
for export
Boiled Crawfish
Advantages
1. feeds low on the food chain
2. easy to reproduce and culture
3. easy to transport live, moist and cool environment
Disadvantages
1. high expense in harvest ( bait and labor )
2. U. S. market is regional, some export to Europe
3. low dressout percentage, 18 to 20% of whole animal are tails
4. lower priced imports from China
5. sale price depends on strength of the wild catch
Louisiana
In 1998 Louisiana produced 36.1 million lbs
from 109,967 acres worth 22.5 million dollars.
90% of farmed crawfish in the U. S.
Trends in U.S. and World Lobster
Production, Imports and Exports
Joel Chetrick
Forest & Fishery Products Division
August 2006
Summary
• World production of lobster increased steadily from 157,000
metric tons (MT) in 1980 to more than 233,000 MT in 1997
before stabilizing at levels near 230,000 MT through 2003 and
rising to about 239,000 MT in 2004. Catches of American lobster
(Homarus americanus) and spiny lobster (Panulirus spp.)
accounted for 67 percent of world lobster production in 2004.
Other important species included European lobster (Homarus
gammarus) and rock lobster (Jasus spp.).
• The United States and Canada are the world’s largest lobster
producing countries, accounting for 37 percent of global
production in 2004. Other major producers included the United
Kingdom, Australia, among others.
Summary
• In the United States, lobsters rank third in terms of commercial landed value for
fishery products, trailing only the harvests of shrimp and crabs. American lobster
accounted for 94 percent of U.S. lobster production, followed by spiny and slipper
lobsters. Maine led all states, with 81 percent of the 40,079 MT of American lobster
landed in 2004. Massachusetts and Rhode Island were also important producers of
American lobster. Spiny lobster is harvested primarily in Florida and California.
• World exports and imports of lobster grew steadily over the last decade. World
lobster exports rose 87 percent, from $1.2 billion in 1992 to $2.2 billion in 2004, due
primarily to increased sales of frozen and fresh/chilled products. Canada was the
major exporter of live lobster products with $371 million in 2004, followed by the
United States with $300 million. World lobster imports increased 63 percent, from
$1.3 billion in 1992 to $2.1 billion in 2004, due mainly to increased demand for frozen
and particularly live products in the hotel and restaurant sector. The United States
was the major importer of live lobster with $290 million in 2004, followed by Canada
with $138 million, and France, Spain and Italy, each with imports exceeding $50
million. The United States remained the largest importer of all lobster products,
accounting for $1 billion or nearly 47 percent of global imports, followed by Japan
with $178 million.
Summary
• U.S. lobster exports grew by 245 percent in terms of value during
1992-2005, totaling $345 million in 2005, due to increased sales
to Canada and the European Union (EU). Canada remained the
largest market , accounting for 48 percent of export sales. Most
U.S. exports to Canada are processed and then sent back to the
U.S. market for domestic consumption or to be exported to other
countries. Sales to the EU, the largest consumption market for
U.S. lobster, accounted for 43 percent of the exports. U.S.
imports of lobster reached $1.1 billion in 2005, up 119 percent
from the 1992 level. Canada accounted for 64 percent of the
imports.
• Lobster is a high-priced commodity with consumer preferences
varying from country to country.
World Lobster Production by Country
MT
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
1992
Canada
Source: FAO
USA
1993
UK
1994
1995
Australia
1996
1997
Bahamas
1998
Brazil
1999
Ireland
2000
2001
Indonesia
2002
Cuba
2003
France
2004
Others
World Lobster Production by Species
MT
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
1992
1993
1994
American
Source: FAO
1995
1996
Spiny
1997
1998
Rock
1999
2000
Others
2001
2002
European
2003
2004
U.S. Lobster Production by Species
MT
45,000
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
American
Source: NOAA/NMFS
Spiny
World Lobster Exports by Country
$Million
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1992
Canada
Source: FAO
1993
1994
Australia
1995
USA
1996
1997
Bahamas
1998
1999
Brazil
2000
Cuba
2001
2002
2003
New Zealand
2004
Others
World Lobster Exports by Product
$Million
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Live
Source: FAO
Fresh or Chilled
Frozen
Canned
World Lobster Imports by Country
$Million
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1992
1993 1994
USA
Source: FAO
Japan
1995
1996
France
1997
China
1998
1999
Canada
2000
2001 2002
Spain
Italy
2003
2004
Others
World Lobster Imports by Product
$Million
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1992
1993 1994
Live
Source: FAO
1995 1996 1997
1998 1999 2000
Fresh or Chilled
2001 2002
Frozen
2003 2004
Canned
U.S. Lobster Trade
$Million
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
Export
Source: NOAA/NMFS
1999
2000
Import
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Consumer Preferences
•
•
•
Worldwide:
Lobster is a high-priced food primarily eaten primarily during holidays
and
special occasions, such as weddings and family celebrations.
Canadian lobster is smaller than the size the United States is
legally
allowed to produce and therefore is sometimes favored in
markets where lobster
is sold by the piece, such as Japan.
Japan:
Spiny lobster
Europe:
High-priced European lobster is preferred over any other lobster.
Spiny lobster is preferred in Spain.
U.S. lobster competes with the European lobster and Norwegian
prawns in EU markets.
U.S. Industry Contacts
• Maine Lobster Promotion Council
Tel. (207) 287-5140/ Fax (207) 287-5143
www.mainelobsterpromo.com
• Maine International Trade Center
Tel. (207) 541-7400/ Fax (207) 541-7420
www.mitc.com
• Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association
Tel. (781) 545-6984/ Fax (781) 545-7837
www.lobstermen.com/default.asp
• Food Export USA-Northeast
Tel. (215) 829-9111/ Fax (215) 829-9777
www.foodexportusa.org