‘Deadliest Catch’ Survives Crippling Obstacle
Deadliest Catch is at the start of Season 20. However, there was a chance this season might never have happened. More so, there was also a chance the show would end for good. It had nothing to do with the Discovery Channel or the production team. The government almost forced the show to shut down competently.
Here is what you need to know about how Deadliest Catch almost got canceled last season.
The Alaskan Government Almost Canceled Deadliest Catch
Deadliest Catch is a Discovery Channel series that follows fishermen as they head out on crab fishing expeditions. There are a lot of rules in place on what they have to throw back and the amount they are allowed to keep in each haul. However, global warming almost killed the entire franchise.
Global warming has hit Alaska harder than anywhere else in the United States. The waters are growing so warm that the king crab population is dying, and many are migrating away from the now-dangerous waters. This caused the Alaskan Department of Fish and Game to move in to protect the population.
In October 2022, the Alaskan Department of Fish and Game canceled the king and snow crab seasons to address the shrinking populations of the two species. For the first time, the Bering Sea snow crab fishery did not open for the upcoming season. Also, the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery was closed for the second consecutive year.
“In 2021 when they surveyed, we saw the largest decline we’ve ever seen in the snow crab population, which was very startling, I think, for everyone,” said Miranda Westphal, an area management biologist with Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game. “It wasn’t something we expected.”
Deadliest Catch Season 20 Is Underway
While this could have crippled and ended Deadliest Catch, the producers found a way to make sure the show could go on despite the season’s cancelation.
The closure was a plot line in Season 18. For Season 19, the production team said:
“we will document our captains as they participate in other sustainable Bering Sea crab and pot fisheries, such as Golden King Crab, Bairdi and Cod.”
The good news is that things are settling down this year. Season 20 saw the reopening of the Red King Crab fishery, which led to a derby-style race between the captains. This proves that the show’s production team knows how to weather different storms. Last year, it was the closure; this year, it is El Nino.
Are you happy that Deadliest Catch ended up saved after this almost crippling obstacle? Do you think the show has much more to go with the warming waters killing off much of the crab populations there? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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