The crabbing season in Alaska has taken an interesting turn in recent years. Like any facet of the Alaskan fishing industry, the crab seasons are subject to fluctuations.

Over the years the crab industry has experienced highs, where those with crab fishing jobs earn thousands from large catches over the course of even just a few days, to periods where king crab in the Bering Sea seemed to be depleting for good. For example in 1980 the king crab industry was at an all time high producing millions and millions of pounds of crab in the season. Yet, in 1983 the catch size dropped significantly forcing king crabbers to focus on other types of crab or even fish.

Since, regulations have been put into place to make sure the populations of Alaskan crab remain at healthy levels and that there are enough crab at the end of the season to replenish populations for the following October when crabbers return to the Bering Sea.

While it took crab populations a while to rebound from over crabbing in the 80s, recent years have produced excellent yields meaning that for those interested in crabbing, now is an excellent time to begin working.

Population fluctuations aren't the only thing that has changed for the Alaskan crabbing industry lately. In 2005 the crabbing industry moved from derby style crabbing methods to a quota system. Under the quota system each boat is given an IFQ or Individual Fishing Quota, which identifies the amount of crab that can be caught for each boat. This was meant to make the crabbing industry safer and more relaxed than the derby system where boats where competing against one another to crab as much as possible as fast as possible, in a short amount of time.

While this newly implemented system was intended to increase the value of crab on the market it has had a negative affect on some of the smaller crabbing boats that were not able to cover expenses based on the quotas they were given. Since 2005, the number of crabbing boats has decreased and is now mainly run by larger crabbing boats as opposed to smaller ones.

With changes such as these affecting the face of the crabbing industry, recent successful crabbing years and large yields still mean the availability of jobs for returning and new workers as well as an excellent chance to do well in this exciting industry.

While many people return to Alaska's Bering Sea year after year for adventure and money, newcomers arrive looking to become a part of the industry. This could include working in an onshore processing plant in Dutch Harbor or somewhere else such as Kodiak.

While some people earn a spot as a deckhand their first time out, it is unlikely this will be the case for more than just a lucky few.

The opening date for each different crab season is slightly different, however, most crabbing seasons are open from October through February.

Remember from a couple of pages back that there are several different types of crabs that can be produced out of Alaska: King Crab, Tanner Crab and Dungeness Crab. It doesn't hurt to study up on the different species of crab, to learn when and where they're harvested and processed. The more you know the better off you may be in a crab fishing job interview.

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