Abstract

Over 220,000 hectares of land in rice and crayfish production in Louisiana provide resting, staging, nesting, wintering, and breeding habitat for over 100 species of resident and migratory waterbirds. These agricultural wetlands have become critically important waterbird habitat because over 440,000 hectares of adjacent coastal wetlands have been lost since 1950. Land planted to rice in Louisiana has decreased due to falling rice prices and increasing production costs. Of special concern is staging and resting habitat provided to shorebirds in autumn and spring migrations as they move to and from summer nesting habitat in the Northern Hemisphere to wintering habitat in the Southern Hemisphere. Reduction in land for crayfish production, importation of low-cost crayfish meat, and the loss of crayfish processing facilities have negatively influenced crayfish production. Conservation payments for agricultural wetlands may stem this potential habitat loss, benefit local wildlife, and help producers financially.

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