Snow Crab - Frequently Asked Questions

How is Snow Crab Caught?

Snow crab is caught in the cold waters of the North Atlantic, the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea in baited pots or traps. The pots and traps target snow crab, create minimal bycatch, and have little or no impact on the ocean floor. The Alaskan season runs from October-May. Canadian snow crab seasons vary, but most crab is fished from April-August.

Are snow crab clusters cooked? 

Snow crab are caught live and kept live on the boat. The boats offload to inspected modern sanitary processing facilities. The crabs are cooked, cleaned and flash frozen. Although the crab clusters have been cooked, we recommend cooking crab prior to serving. Snow crab can be steamed for approximately 5 minutes if thawed or approximately 10 minutes if frozen. 

Is Snow Crab fishing dangerous?

Yes. All fisherman have inherent dangers when they take to sea. Snow crab fishing often entails more risk due to the heavy pots and inclement weather in these fishing areas. The Alaskan fishery is one of the most dangerous as it occurs in winter in very cold waters. Many improvements in the fishery in recent years have significantly reduced injuries or deaths at sea. Improvements including state-of-the-art survival suits, improved ship designs, crew safety training and improved rescue capabilities have significantly improved the safety of the fishery. Also, changes in the management of the fishery have created longer fishing seasons and ended the “race for crab” in Alaska. This allows fishermen the opportunity to avoid harsh ocean conditions and has helped to make the fishery safer than it has been in the past. We solemnly appreciate and salute the fisherman who have lost their lives, and those that risk their safety during every trip, to provide wild caught seafood for all of us.