Don’t steal crawfish!
They take their crawfish seriously in the Bayou, this law is stricly governing what happens when you steal crawfish.
RS 14:67.5
�67.5. Theft of crawfish; penaltyA. No person shall knowingly, willfully and intentionally fish or take any commercial crawfish from any crawfish farm, except with the consent of the owner thereof.
B.(1) Whoever commits the crime of theft of crawfish when the misappropriation or taking amounts to a value of five hundred dollars or more shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than ten years, or may be fined not more than three thousand dollars, or both.
(2) When the misappropriation or taking amounts to a value of three hundred dollars or more, but less than a value of five hundred dollars, the offender shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than two years, or may be fined not more than two thousand dollars, or both.
(3) When the misappropriation or taking amounts to less than a value of three hundred dollars, the offender shall be imprisoned for not more than six months, or may be fined not more than five hundred dollars, or both. If the offender in such cases has been convicted of theft of crawfish one or more times previously, upon any subsequent conviction he shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than two years, or may be fined not more than two thousand dollars, or both.
Added by Acts 1977, No. 349,� 1; Acts 2001, No. 591,� 1
At first glance one may think that the laws in Louisiana concerning theft of alligators and crawfish are dumb laws. But down here in America’s marshlands, alligator and crawfish are both food products and are farmed or raised as such, just as cattle and corn is in all US States. Just as it is illegal to go into a farmer’s grain elevator and take his corn or onto a rancher’s ranch and take his cattle, it is illegal to trespass onto a alligator farmer’s or crawfisher’s lease or private pond and steal the product that these farmers use to provide for their families.
In understanding the lifestyle and businesses of South Louisiana one develops an understanding of the requirement of enacting these laws, making them practical, not dumb.
In conclusion, these laws are no different than the laws currently on the books of any other region preventing theft of goods. The only difference here is that these products are specific to a region that has unique circumstances and unique goods to offer.
This law deals with plain theft. Stealing any farmers crops nearly anywhere is probably a crime too. Makes sense. Crawfish are tasty little critters.