Photo Stories: • Bering Sea Crab

Crab fishing in the Bering Sea was one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. In the mid 1990's, when these photos were taken, seven out of every 1,500 crabbers died on the job each year; that was 70 times higher than the national average for workplace fatalities. If it weren’t for the potentially large financial jackpots (as high as U.S. $25,000 for a deckhand during a five-week season) no one would have ventured out to sea. But crabbers did. The lure of money and the sea is a powerful addiction. 

Today the fishery has consolidated resulting in a much smaller fleet and diminished financial returns for a typical deckhand. The crab fishing quotas are also smaller so crabbers fish much shorter seasons. As a result fewer crewmen have died. 

To read more check out Karen Ducey's gallery on the National Geographic website.  

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These photos were made during the winters between 1992 - 1996. All photographs and text are © Karen Ducey and protected under international and national copyright law. None of the photographs or text can be downloaded, printed, or distributed in any way without written permission of the photographer. None of the photographs or text on this website are considered within the public domain. None of the photographs can be manipulated or altered in any way.