Crab decline

Recently the number of crabs has begun to decrease. This puts pressure on the whole crabbing industry and may, if nothing is done, lead to the end of commercial crab fishing as a whole. One of the main reasons why a depletion of crab is accruing maybe due to the fluctuation in the Bering Sea’s temperature. This change in temperature can help the crabs reproduce but it also brings in their number one predator the Cod. Also consumption from both the Cod and humans may also be a factor.

“The climate of the Gulf of Alaska also influences Tanner crab populations. Starting in 1977, the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea began to undergo a "regime shift" of increased water temperatures (Royer 1989, Kerr 1992 and Trenberth and Hurrell 1995, cited in Anderson et al 1997). This temperature shift coincided with a decrease in crustacean populations and an increase in predators such as Pacific cod (Anderson et al 1997).” [1] Crabs are apart of a vast network in the aquatic food chain. Unfortunately for them they happen to be one of the lowest species on the list. Crabs are commonly eaten by the Cod fish. Interestingly enough the Cods diet is made up of 91% crab [1].

Humans also a primary culprit of consumption considering in the last year alone in the U.S. only we harvested 10 million pounds of crab. [2] Although it is more difficult to limit the consumption due to Cod it is fairly simple to put more regulations on the crab fishing industry. If more restrictions were in place it would increases the crab numbers in the sea and allow the crab then to have more off spring increasing the total population of the crab. Another alternative is to start raising crabs in a controlled environment. If we were to do that it would be safer for the crabs and it would be another way to reach the crab quota.

With the number of crabs dropping in the sea due to human interaction in the world it is clear that something must be changed in our daily lives. It is humans that are creating the climate change that is bringing in more predators to the crabs and it is humans that are harvesting vast quantities of crabs yearly. To not only save the crab population but also the crabbing industry intervention is a must. Action needs to take place in Alaska to save the depleting crabs.

Reflection

"Let’s watch Deadliest Catch" is the fraise that my little brother Trenton would frequently state as he entered my front door. It was those days that I remember. That is the reason that I wanted to learn a little more and have a deeper understanding of the business and the type of work that it takes to run an efficient crab boat. During my research I learned about environmental issues that are affecting the crabbing industry. This project is very different and unique from any other project that I have ever done before. Creating the blog was very interesting and fun. Designing my on blog was creative and made me want to bet more involved in my project because in was an interesting take on a research project.
Some things that I have learned about and that are very interesting are the climate of the sea, controversy between the people in the industry, what crabbing is and how it got started and a poll on what people thought of the product, crab.
Threw all of my research and time spent learning and understanding what my topic truly is I have learned a lot. I have learned that due to climate change the Bering Sea is warming up and the ice isn't freezing over. This may seam like a good thing but it isn't, not for the crabs any way. The crabs need the frozen ice so that they can reproduce in the winter time. Much like a den the ice freezes over protecting the crabs and providing the perfect temperature for the eggs to hatch and grow. If the temperature continues to raise the reproduction rate will decrees. Also in the controversy of crabbing some people feel that working for that short amount of time that hard isn't right. People say that it is unethical while others like Jake Harris feel that it is the best way to earn a living. Crabbing has been an age old tradition that Jake is now fallowing. Like his father and father before him Jake is a crabber. Although there are advancements in the industry crabbing is fairly similar to what is was twenty years a go when the crab bust hit sending many boats out of business, and extremely different from 100 years ago when it all got started. Now crab boats use winches steal traps enormous holding tanks and run nearly 24 hours and straight into the next.
I have learned that to be a crabber you have to be strong willed, determined and ruthless in the hunt to catch the most crab. I have a deeper appreciation for these hard working men and am exited to continue learning about them. But I wonder; what do these men do in the off season?

Controversy

Crabbing is a very controversial topic. Crabbing is a high risk high pay job that, depending on a persons personality, limits the number of people that even apply of the job.
"There are a few requirements and recommendations for anyone considering a career in commercial crab fishing.The commercial crab fishing industry in Alaska is one of the deadliest jobs a person can do. According to The Alaskan King Crab website, the job has a fatality rate that is 90 times greater than the average U.S. worker. Specific dangers include working out on the open water in adverse weather conditions. Fisherman have to work with nets, cables and various other pieces of equipment that are constantly in motion. One simple, misplaced step can see a fisherman sent overboard in freezing cold water. The fishing boats are often very small due to the flexibility they offer, but a small boat has a far greater chance of capsizing in incidences of bad weather and rough water." This author talks about the dangers of crabbing and how fishermen have to be alert at all times to stay alive and to protect the fellow crew members. The author says " the risk is so high that it comes down to a persons deicer to make money, if I were put in the situation I would turn it down." This author doesn't have the determination that some other people do.
Other people such as Jake Harris enjoy the pay. "My dad pays well (he laughs) I enjoy being on the water and crabbing. It's a thrill that I live for and on. I work hard for my share just like everyone else on this boat."[2] When asked what he thought about the danger he said " ya it's dangerous there are so many moving parts and different peaces of equipment that can chop your hand or arm off. The man thing is to stay alert at all times."[2] "this has to be the hardest job mentally and physically because both are in motion at all times."[2] Jake is one of the few fishermen who enjoy making lots of money and working extremely hard for it.
Crabbing isn't for the faint of heart but for a person who can deal with long hours and hard work. Despite the hard work, the job still gets complete by those who take the risk, and those who don't enjoy the fruits of their labor.




[1] http://www.livestrong.com/article/205209-commercial-crab-fishing-in-s-e-alaska/
[2]http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/deadliestcatch/crews/jake-harris.html

The Poll

Polls are used nearly every day to give a ARBITRARY opinion about a variety of issues. That is still the case here as we examine the other side, the consumer side of the crabbing industry. The key to a good poll is having many people participate in your poll. Unfortunately I am not cool enough for my friends to help me out.
For my poll questions I asked people what they thought of crab. I asked them about the taste and how much they enjoyed it. I also asked them how often they eat crab. The reason that I asked they this is because the less often you eat something the more delicious it is, like stake or cake. I wanted to know where the market is for crab.
I asked people how they would rate the taste of crab. I expected most people would say that the taste of crab is unique and delicious. I was surprised to find that I was incorrect. Out of the three people that took my poll only two said that it was okey and one even passed on it. How could this be when crab hard to get in Colorado so it isn't oftenly eaten by people who live here. Maybe the more often a food is eaten the more popular it is? That is why I asked the question, "how often do you eat crab?" to verifie my hypothesis.
It turns out that the two people who participated in my poll have never eaten crab before. This is shows that not everyone in Colorado eats crab. This shows that when food is easily obtained it is enjoyed more then food that is not.
It is dificult for me to conclude my poll because of the lack of participating in my polls. None the less the results that I ENCOUNTERED are still true. Although the results that I expected did not happen a sensible answer to my hypothesis. Through my polls I proved that the market for crab is not in the middle of the the country but on the coast where crab is more abundant.