Inhabitants of Remote Island in Freezing Bering Sea Reveal Bizarre Method of Crab Fishing
Most people have seen an episode or two of Deadliest Catch. If you’ve seen the show, you know that crab fishing is no joke.
The fishermen on the show are known to rake in a small fortune every time they come to shore with a haul.
The trade-off is that a bad storm could very well mean the end of their career — and even their life.
The Bering Sea is one of the most popular destinations for crab fishing. When crab season is in full swing, there can be around 250 fishing boats in the area at one time.
Fishing for commercial purposes isn’t the only strategy, however. The internet was recently treated to a viral video that showed how the locals like to get their crabs.
Those who live on the Diomede Islands in the Bering Sea have a more unorthodox method for capturing crabs. They go after the ones trapped beneath the ice.
Meredith Katzenberger posted a video of her Alaska crabbing adventure on YouTube a few years ago, but the incredible video recently went viral again.
Her original video had over 100,000 views. But the re-upload to Facebook has already hit over 4 million.
In the video, the crabbers began to dig a hole in the ice, and Katzenberger asked how long it usually took.
They told her it could take around 20 minutes, and she filmed the two methods locals use for breaking through the ice.
Once they’ve finished the hole, the crabbers lower fish into it with a long piece of fishing line. From there, all they have to do is wait for a crab to take the bait.
After the crab grabs the fish, the crabbers pull it out and throw it in the snow. The strategy seems simple on the surface, but I’m sure it’s much harder than it looks.
When the crabs are claimed, the crabbers cover them with snow to keep them fresh until the day is done.
Then they’ll either take them home for dinner that night or bring them back to sell them at the local market.
Although this crabbing technique is far less dangerous than the one we see on television, it doesn’t yield the same results.
Those on TV often take home a much bigger haul to make a living, while these crabbers were happy to leave with just a handful of crabs after a day’s work.
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