Introduction

• King crab finishing off the coast of Alaska is one of the most dangerous and lucrative jobs in the world. Media exposure and interest has left many wondering how the crabs are actually caught, and knowing how a crab trap function is part of that intrigue. Commercial boats are fitted with a hydraulic system that is used for hauling in the box-shaped steel traps, also known as pots. Each pot weighs approximately 700 lbs.
  
  

Catching Method

• Each pot is sunk into the ocean, usually in a row, and filled with bait of cod or herring to attract the Alaskan King crab. Marked with a buoy, the pots are left on the floor for a period of four to six days so the crabs can amass in the trap, attracted by the fish bait. The pots are then retrieved with a pulley on the end of a crane onto the deck of the fishing boat. The pot is sorted through by crew and deckhands, and sick or dead crabs are not kept.
  
  

Storage and Sale

• King crabs cannot remain in the hold for a long period of time.
  
  Healthy crab are kept in a holding tank on board that usually has the capacity of holding 200 pots worth of crab. Due to the extreme cold and the crab's combative nature, they cannot be left in the tank for more than a few days. Crab are known to fight and kill each other, and dead crab can release dangerous toxins, capable of killing other crab. Timeliness is also key to a successful haul, as a shorter fishing season limits the time for catching crab to two weeks. King crab fishermen can expect to collect anywhere from $3 to $5 per pound.