WASHINGTON, D.C. - Louisiana congressmen Cleo Fields and Clay Higgins introduced H.R. 4800, a bill that, if passed, would expand fishery disaster relief programs to include wild-caught crawfish. 

The wild-caught crawfish industry currently does not quality for many disaster relief programs, meaning crawfishermen are not eligible for disaster assistance if their livelihood is disrupted by a storm or other disaster. 

“The 2023 drought led to heavy losses across the entire crawfish industry, and while we secured disaster relief through USDA and the Small Business Administration, there was no equivalent program for wild-caught crawfishermen under the Commerce Department,” said Congressman Higgins. “Our bill would add crawfish species in the Atchafalaya Basin to the Magnuson-Stevens Act to ensure those fisheries are eligible in future disasters. This is an important step to bring parity across the entire industry.”