For years there have been serial documentaries on the fishing of king crabs and other varieties of crabs in the stormy Bering Sea.
On the screen we can observe the harsh working conditions of the hard-working and courageous fishermen who carry out one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.
If you continue reading this article, our site will show you Bering Sea crabs.
Red King Crab
The red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus, also known as the giant red crab, is the main target of the Alaskan crab fleet.
It must be said that this fishing is controlled under strict parameters. For this reason it is a sustainable fishery. Females and crabs that do not meet a minimum size are immediately returned to the sea. Fishing quotas are very restrictive.
The giant red crab can measure its shell up to 28 cm. wide, and its long legs can be separated 1, 80 meters from one end to another. This species of crab is the most valued of all. Its natural color is a shade of burgundy.
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Royal Blue Crab
The Royal Blue Crab is another prized species caught off the San Mateo Islands and the Pribilof Islands. Its color is brown with blue reflections. Specimens of up to 8 kg have been fished. of weight. Its pincers are larger than the other species. The blue crab is more delicate than the red one, perhaps because it lives in very cold waters.
The snow crab, or opilio crab, is another specimen that is fished during the month of January in the Bering Sea. Its size is much smaller than the previous ones. Its fishing is very dangerous, since it is carried out in the harshest of the arctic winter. All these fisheries are currently highly regulated by the authorities.
The bairdi crab, or Tanner crab, suffered in the past from overfishing that endangered its existence. Ten years of closure have achieved a total recovery of the herd. Today the ban has been lifted.
Gold Crab
The gold crab is fished off the Aleutian Islands. This is the most small and abundant species. Its shell is a golden orange hue.
The scarlet king crab is very rare and very valued. Not to be confused with the scarlet hermit crab, typical of warm waters.
The hair crab, or Dungennes crab, is a common species in many other waters, outside the Bering Sea. It has great commercial importance.
Fishing arts
The fishing gear used for crab fishing is the traps.
The traps are a kind of large metal cages in which they place bait (cod and other varieties), to throw them into the water and collect them 12 or 24 hours later.
Each variety of crab is caught with specific gears and depths. Each species has its fishing season or quota.
Sometimes the crab boats face waves of up to 12 meters, and temperatures of -30º. Every year fishermen die in those icy waters.
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