About Alaskan King Crabs

King crabs are found around the world, but the ones that live in the Bering Sea region are known as Alaskan king crab. Fine dining menus almost always include crab legs, which are considered a delicacy. The popular reality television show "Deadliest Catch" highlighted not only the dangers of crab fishing, but also the windfall that can result from a successful season.

Types

There are three kinds of Alaskan king crab: red, blue and golden. Red king crab are the most sought after in the commercial fishing industry. Each kind of Alaskan king crab is predominantly found in a different area along Alaska's coast. Red king crab are mostly found in the Kodiak Archipelago and Bristol Bay areas.

Size

Fishing regulations state that only male king crab can be fished. Minimum size requirements vary from region to region but range between 4 ¾ and 8 inches across. The crew must individually examine each crab that is caught. Females and males that are not mature are thrown back. A new quota system limits the number of crabs each fishing boat can catch.

Crab Fishing Boats

Commercial crab fishing boats use large steel cages called "pots" to catch Alaskan king crab. One pot weighs between 600 and 700 pounds. New recruits called "greenhorns" are often given the worst jobs on the boat, including baiting the pots with herring. Each pot has a buoy attached to it so the captain can easily locate them after they have "soaked" for a specific amount of time. The pots are set in strings wherever a captain believes the crab will be found. The crab are known to move quickly across the bottom of the sea, which makes them difficult to find. To retrieve a pot a deckhand must throw a hook to catch the buoy line. A hydraulic system pulls the pot onto the deck where the crew empties it and sorts the crab.

Delivery

Alaskan king crab are hauled back to shore in holding tanks and delivered to processing stations where they are checked for size. The crab must arrive alive. A dead crab can kill all the crab around it, so captains try to fish as fast as possible. The crab are then processed, frozen and shipped to restaurants in the United States and Japan.

Dangers

Crab fishing is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. In spite of exhaustion from long hours, the crew must be vigilant at all times. It is easy to become tangled in the lines attached to a crab pot and dragged overboard. High waves can wash someone into the freezing water. Without a survival suit, he could die of hypothermia in minutes. Every year, at least one person dies while crab fishing.

"Deadliest Catch"

Alaskan king crab have been popularized by the Discovery Channel's hit reality television show "Deadliest Catch." The show follows the crews of several crab boats during king crab and ophelia crab seasons. Popular boats include the Time Bandit, Northwestern and Cornelia Marie. Crews battle the vicious Alaska weather, each other and sometimes their captains for a chance to strike it rich on a crab fishing boat.