News from the South - Louisiana News Feed
Louisiana Crawfish Festival vendor sells Chinese mudbugs without required signage: report
Louisiana Crawfish Festival vendor sells Chinese mudbugs without required signage: report
by Louisiana Illuminator, Louisiana Illuminator
March 21, 2025
A food vendor at the Louisiana Crawfish Festival in St. Bernard Parish has served Chinese-sourced crustaceans and failed to disclose it as required under state law, organizers have confirmed.
WVUE-TV Fox 8 reports organizers were made aware of the infraction when an attendee sent them pictures of a vendor using packages of foreign crawfish. Louisiana law requires fair food vendors, restaurants, seafood markets, grocers and other retailers to display signs that detail the origin of any foreign crawfish they sell.
Crawfish Festival secretary Cisco Gonzales Jr. confirmed to Fox 8 that the visitor told organizers the vendor had no such signage.
“We know how important supporting local seafood is in St. Bernard Parish,” Gonzales said. “You know, I come from a family of fishermen. A lot of my uncles and cousins are still down there doing that, and we want to respect that and we wanna make sure that our vendors are respectful of that, too.”
The crawfish for all festival vendors are being checked, and they are being asked to display signage if they’re serving foreign catch, Gonzales said.
The Louisiana Crawfish, held annually for 50 years in Chalmette, started Wednesday and ends Saturday.
The origin of seafood sold and served in Louisiana is under heightened scrutiny after Louisiana strengthened its source disclosure law, effective Jan. 1. Optional fines for offenses start at $15,000 for a first offense to $50,000 for third and subsequent offenses.
Spot genetic testing from the Texas-based firm SeaD Consulting has revealed most merchants, eateries and vendors sampled are purveying local catch, but some are either knowingly selling foreign seafood or aren’t aware of the labeling law.
SeaD found four Lafayette restaurants out of 24 sampled were selling foreign shrimp passed off as local in a study it conducted last month. It conducted similar testing in New Orleans in January, when three of 24 restaurants sold undisclosed imported shrimp.
In November, a joint investigation from Fox 8 and the Illuminator used SeaD testing and found that the large majority of vendors at a local festival and seafood market were providing catch from the Gulf of Mexico and area waters.
SeaD Consulting does not disclose the names of businesses it discovers selling undisclosed foreign seafood, preferring instead to raise awareness of the state labeling law.
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Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.
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News from the South - Louisiana News Feed
Saturday 10 PM Tropics Update: One far-off tropical wave to watch
SUMMARY: A tropical wave near Africa is emerging over the Atlantic but remains disorganized. The National Hurricane Center gives it a 60% chance to develop into a depression or tropical storm, possibly becoming Gabrielle. This system may move northward, staying over the open Atlantic and away from the Gulf, posing no immediate threat. Since the last named storm in late August, stable air, dry conditions, and increased wind shear have suppressed tropical activity in the Atlantic. The next storm names are Gabrielle, Humberto, and Imelda, with only the current wave showing potential for development at this time.
Meteorologist Alexandra Cranford tracks a lone disturbance with a chance of development on Saturday night, September 13, 2025.
News from the South - Louisiana News Feed
Haynes wanted in on Wildlife bribery scheme too, informant says
SUMMARY: Dusty Guidry, a former consultant who pleaded guilty to accepting $800,000 in bribes, testified that Assistant District Attorney Gary Haynes sought involvement in a bribery scheme at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries. Haynes, on trial for conspiracy, bribery, money laundering, and obstruction, was previously appointed to run Lafayette’s pretrial diversion program after supporting DA Don Landry. Guidry revealed Haynes pressured him to include him in a similar diversion program scheme at Wildlife & Fisheries, receiving checks totaling $90,000. The scheme involved splitting bribes among Guidry, vendor Leonard Franques, and former department secretary Jack Montoucet, who has also been charged. The statewide program never launched.
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The post Haynes wanted in on Wildlife bribery scheme too, informant says appeared first on thecurrentla.com
News from the South - Louisiana News Feed
OPPJ Comprehensive Plan
SUMMARY: The Ouachita Parish Police Jury is conducting a series of community meetings to gather public input for their comprehensive plan guiding future growth. Police Jury members, including Larry Bratton from District D, emphasize the importance of reflecting residents’ voices in the master plan. Community members participated in interactive stations, allocating resources to priorities like infrastructure and downtown development, to help shape goals for the next 2, 5, and 20 years. Landscape architect Matt Pizatella and partners from Atlas support the effort. Bratton stresses that without proactive planning, the parish risks costly and less beneficial outcomes in the long term.
OPPJ Comprehensive Plan
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