Does The Crew Actually Eat The Crabs On Deadliest Catch?
Reality television brings a lot of shows to mind, specifically shows with a lot of drama, yelling, and nail-biting situations. Discovery's "Deadliest Catch" has been delivering on all those categories since 2005. A show that takes audiences on the adventure of a lifetime from the comfort of their couch, "Deadliest Catch" is about one of the toughest jobs out there.
King crab fishing off the Alaskan coast is a dangerous endeavor, yet the crew on "Deadliest Catch" head out to the Bering Sea every fishing season to battle some of the most unforgiving waters on Earth in search of their catch. A delicacy to many that are valued at around $180 for 2lbs, according to CNBC, the crabs the crew risks their lives for are worth the effort in the eyes of many. The real question for these brave souls that continue heading out into those deadly waters for others to enjoy a delicious meal is: do they indulge in their fair share of crab too?
King crab is a popular meal for the Deadliest Catch crew
When Captain Sig Hansen from "Deadliest Catch" isn't out finding crab off the coast of Alaska, he's cozied up in Seattle, Washington. During the off-season, does Hansen eat the crab he works tirelessly to catch? In an interview with Miami New Times, Hansen revealed that yes, he does reap the benefits of all his efforts. "Well we only get to fish it once a year, so it's a treat to bring it home. Everybody thinks I've got a giant freezer in my backyard full of it, but we only get it once a year just like everyone else. And I love it, it's delicious."
After being on the air for the better part of two decades, the crews on "Deadliest Catch" are battling against issues they haven't faced before. Obstacles like climate change have caused the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to announce that they would be closing the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery due to a lack of mature female crabs, via the Alaska Journal of Commerce. The precaution is in place to protect the crab population, but it poses a problem for those making a living fishing for crab.
Captain Josh Harris told Entertainment Weekly how difficult it has been for his crew to switch to catching golden king crab. "It was scary. You're setting the pots down 10 times as deep as they normally should be going, and that's a lot of work. There was a lot of danger involved with hauling that much line," Hopefully, after everything, the golden king crab tasted just as good as the red king crab — especially after all the extra effort that the crew put in to catch them.