Mmmm. . . King Crab

If you've never seen the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch", I highly recommend tuning in Tuesday at 8 pm Central time for the season 2 premiere.

"Deadliest Catch" follows the sailors who earn their living fishing for King Crab and Snow Crab in the Bering Sea in and around the Arctic circle. The name of the show is accurate. Last season a plotline centered around the search for a vessel that sunk as on the opening day of Snow Crab season. All but one member of the crew froze to death in the icy arctic waters (at least five casualties). Why do they do this job? The pay for a couple weeks worth of work for a crewman can equal an annual salary of someone of comparable skill in a safe, warm job.

The danger isn't the only risk. Last season several crews lost their catches due to mistakes including overstuffing holding tanks, arriving late at the processing plants so their crabs died before they could be unloaded, or keeping too many sick and injured crabs (or bait) that basically poisoned the healthy ones. These mistakes had massive economic impact to the crew. In other words, if they screwed up they didn't get paid until next season (there are only two seasons per year).

As I watched last season I felt a real connection to these crews. Without them, it would be impossible for me to enjoy the taste of sweet succulent King Crab and Snow Crab.