Incidental Aquaculture in California's Rice Paddies: Red Swamp Crawfish^*

* The author would like to thank four of his former students: Danny Blake, who spurred him to research the red swamp crawfish and who collaborated with him in the field; Mike Commons, who organized landing‐receipt data and created the initial drafts of the map that accompanies this manuscript; Ryan Ford, who refined the map; and Jake Nicholas, who allowed the author to accompany him on a Department of Fish and Game surveillance of the rice fields. Finally, the author expresses his appreciation to the fishermen who patiently answered his questions, showed him their trade, and sold him crawfish.

Abstract

Introduction of the red swamp crawfish, Procambarus clarkii, into California and its diffusion throughout northern California's rice paddies created the conditions for an incidental aquaculture economy in a landscape devoted to irrigated grain production. For more than three decades, fishermen have harvested this prolific invader and sold their catch to Europe and the Gulf Coast. Since 2004, the diffusion of Vietnamese‐American seafood restaurants to California and nationally has created additional markets for red swamp crawfish.

• aquaculture
• California
• crawfish
• foodways
• Vietnamese‐American

Notes

1. Crawfishes are known by several names in the United States, including crayfish, crawdads, and mudbugs. Biologists commonly use the name crayfish. Aquaculturists use the name crawfish. George Penn traced the history of the various terms and judged that crawfish was the oldest and most apt (1943). Because this paper's focus is commercial harvest, the name crawfish is used throughout. The term crayfish will be used only in reference to specific biological literature, as used by California's Department of Fish and Game, as part of a species' common name and to be consistent with a particular reference.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Scott Brady

Dr. Brady is a professor of geography at California State University, Chico, California, 95928; [[email protected]].