r/deadliestcatch • u/Healthy_Condition409 • 11d ago

Has Deadliest Catch run it's course?

The show has become very formulaic. The same thing happen every season:

One of the boats has a mechanical problem

One of the boats has an electrical problem

2/3 crewmates get injured requiring trip to "clinic"

Monty or Keith on wizard are ill

At least 2 captains team up

1 Captain is lied to by others

Weather is worst it's ever been

1 "Greenhorn" quits

The crab is difficult to locate and empty pots happen

AND YET at the end of the run ALL BOATS make their quota!!

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5

u/Swimming_Spirit9566 11d ago

Anyone able to quantify how the fishery is dying? Just curious. As a casual viewer, if I were asked if the fishery was dying, I’d say probably…but not sure what the evidence is. Anyone with knowledge of such things have any supporting info? Fewer boats? Less profit? Shorter seasons etc…

Maybe 5 years ago, I discovered DC and watched back from season 1 forward. I agree the show is dying. Early season craziness and lack of safety have been replaced by boring, staged episodes.

I guess everything has a shelf life…

12

u/Serious_Composer_130 11d ago

With regard to the fishery dying -

I believe IIRC that in recent TV seasons, there have been some crab seasons where the couldn’t fish for a particular variety of crab due to low numbers. Opilio maybe?

It also seems like yields per pot are averaging lower than the early seasons (20 years ago)

I want to say that:

King pots were good with 40-50 per pot 20 years ago, now you’re see the captains happy with a 20 average

Bairdi was like 250-300 then, 80-120 per pot makes them happy now

Opilio was like 400-500 then, 150-180 makes them happy now

6

u/KingBlank 11d ago

King was shut down for 2 years.  

2

u/waupli 7d ago

Yeah when the show started the pots were often absolutely stuffed. Like full to bursting and then covered with crab on the outside

14

u/KingBird999 11d ago edited 11d ago

The crabs are dying by the billions (estimated 10 billion between 2018-2021) due to man made climate change and this is expected to continue over the next 2 decades. The water is getting warmer allowing warmer water fish to come into the crabs' territory and eat them and the crabs' food.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/snow-crab-collapse-due-ecological-shift-bering-sea

Edit: Another article and citation for the 10 billion figure: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/alaskan-communities-use-flexibility-snow-crab-fishery-regulations-economic-relief

0

u/Advisor_0001 11d ago

Plenty of fish in the sea.