The legislative branch includes the legislature, which is comprised of the House of Representatives with a limit of 105 members and the Senate with 39 members. The legislature is responsible for determining policy through the enactment of laws, subject to federal and state constitutional restrictions.
A quick search at the legislature's website using the single keyword "crawfish" yields a hit on 47 different statutes. These statutes can be placed into several groups, including promotion, assessment, and taking.
R.S. 56 §578.13. Labeling of "crawfish"
A. No product labeled "crawfish" may be sold in Louisiana unless it consists of, or is derived from, the red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii), the white river crawfish (Procambarus zonangulus), or Louisiana pond-raised crawfish.
B. Any violation of the labeling requirements shall subject the distributor or packager to the penalties provided in R.S. 56:578.10(B).
Acts 2001, No. 200, §1.
R.S. 56 §330. Crawfish harvesters; crawfish traps
A. Crawfish harvesters shall be subject to the jurisdiction and rules and regulations of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.
NOTE: Subsection (B) eff. until June 1, 2022. See Acts 2021, No. 356.
B. Crawfish may be taken commercially with approved crawfish traps. The openings of the flues or throats on crawfish traps shall not exceed two inches.
NOTE: Subsection (B) as amended by Acts 2021, No. 356, eff. June 1, 2022.
B. Crawfish may be taken by properly licensed individuals with approved crawfish traps. The openings of the flues or throats on crawfish traps shall not exceed two inches.
C. The secretary may promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the provisions of this Section.
Acts 1995, No. 543, §2; Acts 2021, No. 356, §3, eff. June 1, 2022.
R.S. 3 §556.6. Assessments
A. There is hereby levied and imposed an assessment of one-quarter of one cent per pound on all artificial crawfish bait sold in this state. The assessment shall be ultimately paid by the crawfish farmers and harvesters who purchase the artificial bait.
B. There is hereby levied and imposed an assessment on each bag used to package live crawfish in the amount of one cent for each bag holding less than twenty-five pounds of crawfish, and two cents for each bag holding twenty-five pounds or more of crawfish. The assessment shall ultimately be paid by the crawfish farmers and harvesters who purchase the bags.
Added by Acts 1983, No. 679, §1. Amended by Acts 1985, No. 330, §1; Acts 1985, No. 492, §1; Acts 1986, No. 547, §1; Acts 2014, No. 219, §1.
Suppose that I want to know if crawfish theft is illegal. I could just go to Google and type "crawfish theft." If I do, I find information on RS 14:67.5 — Theft of crawfish; penalty from the Justia website. Should I stop there? Is this an authoritative source? The answer to both question is no.
If I go to the Louisiana Legislature's website, I'll find this if I look up the statute:
R.S. 14 §67.5. Adoption deception.
Is there a mix-up with the legislature? or the website? No. A 2019 Act repealed several statutes which enumerated thefts of specific products, it did not repeal the general statutes on theft. The statute number was then repurposed for an act passed in 2021 about adoption and deception.
Theft is still theft. The general laws against theft still apply.
