Enter the characters you see below Sorry, we just need to make king crab market price you’re not a robot. Alaskan king crab fishing is carried out during the fall in the waters off the coast of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. The commercial catch is shipped worldwide. Alaskan crab fishing is very dangerous, and the fatality rate among the fishermen is about 80 times the fatality rate of the average worker.

It is suggested that, on average, one crab fisherman dies weekly during the seasons. The most popular crab-fishing time occurs between October and January. After 2005, each boat was given a quota based on their catch from previous years and how many crabs are available to catch. After the 2005 season, the Alaskan crab industry transitioned from a derby-style season to a quota system. This transition is known as rationalization. Under the old derby style, a large number of crews competed with each other to catch crab during a restrictive time window.

IFQ system, the fleet shrank from over 250 boats to around 89 mostly larger boats with high quotas. Fishermen use a box-shaped trap called a pot, which consists of a steel frame covered with a nylon mesh. The pot is then brought on board the boat and the crew sorts the catch. Any crabs not meeting the regulation requirements for size and gender are thrown back.

The crabs are stored live in a holding tank until the boat reaches shore, where they are sold. If the weather becomes too cold, the live crabs may freeze and burst. If they are left in the tank for too long, they can harm and possibly kill each other as they can be cannibalistic. Even the rocking of the boat can cause damage to the crabs, so boards are inserted in the holds to prevent excessive side-to-side movement. If a crab dies in the hold for any reason, it releases toxins that can kill other crabs. If the crew fails to remove the dead crabs, they can poison the entire tank and ruin the catch. Deckhands are paid a percentage of the profits after the owner’s share is taken into account.

This can range from nothing to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the size of the harvest. Statistically, Alaskan crab fishing remains the most dangerous job in the United States. In 2006, the Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked commercial fishing as the occupation with the highest fatality rate, with 141. Several theories for the precipitous drop in the crab population have been proposed, including overfishing, warmer waters, and increased fish predation.

Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program lists king crab caught in the United States as a “good alternative”. The influx of crab from Russian fisheries has also created economic problems for U. Deadliest Catch is a reality series aired by the Discovery Channel beginning in 2005. The show highlights interpersonal relationships and the dangers of king crab fishing, including freezing temperatures, turbulent seas, and raising full pots that can weigh well over a ton. Alaska King Crabs: Wildlife Notebook Series”. Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Flood of Russian kings negates price gains expected with rationalization”. Alaska’s Crab Fishery: Big Money Days are Gone”. Fatalities in the commercial fishing industry in Alaska”. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29.