Study: Scalloping also more risky than fishing
for Alaskan king crab seen in television series
Fishing for scallops or groundfish in the Atlantic is more dangerous than fishing for king crabs off Alaska, says a new federal study.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has found that the highest death rates for commercial fishermen – whose occupation is one of the most dangerous in the country – are among groundfishermen and scallopers.
With safety improvements made by Alaska’s crab industry in recent decades, Alaskan crab is no longer the deadliest catch, despite the image conveyed by the “Deadliest Catch” cable TV reality series, which chronicles the working lives of Alaskan crab fishermen.
Click for the rest of the story by Beth Quimby in the Portland Press Herald.