There are three species of king crab in Alaska- red
king crab, blue king crab, and brown king crab. They are found in
different areas of Alaskan waters. Most of the king crab harvested in
Alaska comes from the Bering Sea. There are smaller fisheries to the
north in Norton Sound and in the
southeast.
In 1980, at the peak of the king crab industry,
Alaskan fisheries produced up to 200 million pounds of crab. By 1983,
the total size of the catch had dropped by up to 90% in some places. As
a result the current season is very short. In the winter season, 250
boats can catch 14 million pounds of red king crab in four
days.
Alaskan crab fishing is very dangerous, and the
fatality rate among the fishermen is about 90 times the fatality rate of
the average worker. It is suggested that, on average, one crab fisherman dies weekly during the
seasons.
There is also an effort to crack down on the
illegal harvest of the valuable crustacean at a time of diminished
supplies and record-high prices. There are stiff fines imposed for those who are
caught.
