<P> Alaskan crab fishing is very dangerous, and the fatality rate among the fishermen is about 80 times the fatality rate of the average worker . It is suggested that, on average, one crab fisherman dies weekly during the seasons . </P> <P> In Alaska, three species of king crab are caught commercially: the red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus, found in Bristol Bay, Norton Sound, and the Kodiak Archipelago), blue king crab (Paralithodes platypus, St. Matthew Island and the Pribilof Islands), and golden king crab (Lithodes aequispinus, Aleutian Islands). The red king crab is the most prized of the three for its meat . A fourth variety of king crab, the scarlet king crab (Lithodes couesi), is too small and rare to be commercially viable, even though its meat is considered sweet and tasty . Specific size requirements must be met: only certain types of king crab are legal at different times of the year and only males can be kept . </P> <P> The most popular crab - fishing months occur between October and January . The allocated time for a season continued to shrink--at one point a red crab season was only four days long . After 2005, each boat was given a quota based on their catch from previous years and how many crabs are available to catch . The fleet went from 251 boats down to 89 . Currently the seasons last from two to four weeks . </P> <P> After the 2005 season, the Alaskan crab industry transitioned from a derby - style season to a quota system . This transition is known as rationalization . Under the old derby style, a large number of crews competed with each other to catch crab during a restrictive time window . Under the new Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) system, established owners have been given quotas which they can fill at a more relaxed pace . In theory, it is intended to be safer, which was the main rationale for the change in the fishing rules . The transition to the quota system was also expected to increase the value of crab, by limiting the market of available crab . An influx of foreign crab negated some of these gains during the 2006 season . </P>

Where does the crab from deadliest catch go