Clyde the Crawfish鈥檚 goose was cooked.
But a reprieve from Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser spared the crustacean a fate that befalls many a mudbug this time of year. During a ceremony Tuesday at the University of Louisiana at 69传媒, Clyde received a pardon that freed him, according to the proclamation, 鈥渇rom being served at any boil, in 茅touff茅es, po-boys鈥 or other dishes.
Clyde鈥檚 clemency carries with it the promise of a long life in a state park near Abbeville, La., where he 鈥渟hall be free from water any hotter than what is found in the beautiful swamps and bayous of Louisiana鈥 to live unaccompanied by 鈥渁ny spices, potatoes, onions or garlic.鈥
Clyde鈥檚 new home at Palmetto Island State Park isn鈥檛 far from his birthplace, a crawfish farm near Kaplan, La. A police escort ferried Clyde to UL 69传媒鈥檚 campus, and farm owner Barry Toups carried the guest of honor in a red-rimmed crawfish trap to the Student Union porch.
There, with Cypress Lake, a two-acre managed wetland serving as the ceremony鈥檚 backdrop, Clyde waited in an aquarium to clinch his freedom. But first, he received some parting advice from Dr. Joseph Savoie, University president.
鈥淒on鈥檛 make any stops between campus and your new home. In some parts of south Louisiana, crawfish pardons don鈥檛 hold much water 鈥 but boiling pots do.鈥
This is the third year the Louisiana Office of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, which Nungesser oversees, has pardoned a crawfish to promote the state seafood industry and to celebrate crawfish harvesting 鈥 and eating 鈥 season. The Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board also sponsored the event.
鈥淲hat better way to celebrate our culture and heritage than to grant Clyde his freedom before he ended up on a tray in a restaurant or a backyard boil,鈥 Nungesser said.
Last year鈥檚 ceremony spared Emile, named for Emile Zatarain Sr., whose eponymous New Orleans company introduced crawfish seasoning mixes in the 1920s.
Clyde is named for Dr. Clyde Rougeou, the University鈥檚 fourth president who served from 1966 to 1974. Nungesser presented the late president鈥檚 daughter-in-law, Debbie Rougeou, with a framed copy of the proclamation during Tuesday鈥檚 ceremony.
Photo caption: Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser greets Clyde the Crawfish on Tuesday during a pardoning ceremony at UL 69传媒. (Photo credit: Doug Dugas / University of Louisiana at 69传媒)