OPELOUSAS — Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser "pardoned" a crawfish to celebrate the start of crawfish season on Tuesday. 

The annual Pardoning of the Crawfish event, held at Tony Chachere's Creole Foods in Opelousas, has been hosted every year since 2017 on the first Tuesday after Mardi Gras.

"Crawfish isn't just a meal in Louisiana — it's a way of life and a cornerstone of our economy," Nungesser said. 

The crawfish selected to be "pardoned" this year was named Tony after the late Tony Chachere, who founded the restaurant where the event was held. 

Following the event, the Louisiana Office of State Parks transported Tony to Chicot State Park in Ville Platte.