NEWS

Crawfish processing plants could face closure

By Brheanna Berry
KLFY

Crawfish processing plants throughout Louisiana could face closure due to a lack of available workers. Under the federal H2b visa program, employers can temporarily hire foreign workers for non-agricultural jobs. There's a cap on the number of visas allowed.

The H2b workers cover a number of jobs including carnivals and crawfishing, but this year the number was reached before crawfish season even began. Gillary Patin is the owner of the Bonanza Crawfish Processing Plant. He says the majority of people don't understand how bad it's going to be and that this will affect everyone including fishermen, consumers, even the people who sell them boxes and bags.

Patin says, "We can provide Louisiana crawfish because the product is available and it's going to be available with a good supply with no labor to produce it because of the government."

Patin says he worries the big problem will come this summer. Restaurants won't be able to find local crawfish, forcing them to look out of state, or possibly take it off the menu all together.