Safety

Safety concerns are now so great that the time-limited season is finally being abolished. After this year, Alaska’s crab fishermen will operate under a seasonal quota system that is independent of time; a system that is expected to save lives and protect fishermen from the terrible injuries they sustain in the relentless race against the clock.

Skippers will be able to decide exactly when they fish, sparing themselves the worst of the weather – although the seasonal nature of the fisheries dictates that they will never be entirely free from the ravages of wind and waves. Veteran crab fishermen are calling this year ‘the last rodeo’ – their last confrontation with the frantic and perilous conditions that have defined the crab fishing industry for decades.

If the fishermen are safer, it is likely that the crab population will be safer too. Hopefully, fewer pots will be lost at sea, saving more than just the cost to the skipper; these ‘ghost pots’ may number as many as 50 per square kilometre in some areas, and they may catch and kill as many crabs annually as the fishery itself does. Handling of the catch may improve as fishermen have more time, resulting in fewer injuries to the female and juvenile crabs that must be discarded and returned to the sea.

The Last Rodeo may be the end of an era for the fishermen – but with any luck, it will be the beginning of a new, sustainable era for one of the world’s great fisheries.