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Despite all the challenges of the past year, The deadliest catch It goes back to the seventeenth year. this year, Reality TV Discovery program Eight boats in Alaska’s crab fishing fleet follow as they battle the elements, a global pandemic, concerns about sustainability, and, as usual, each other.
Says Cig Hansen, captain F / V NW, Who has been on the show from the start. “But, Coronavirus disease It was the biggest obstacle and obstacle we faced as a fleet, so far. “
The show, now streaming on Discovery + and premiere on Discovery Channel, begins April 20, with the boats taut in the harbor. But the Hunters were already under pressure.
The global pandemic has prevented the Alaska Department of Fish and Game from conducting the usual summer crab surveys used to determine a quota. Without them, hunters have no information about where the crab is, and most importantly, any sense of the health of the population. The rules state that if the fleet cannot absorb its allocations, the fisheries should be closed for a period of two years. With many of the usual fishing boats still stuck in Seattle, unable to reach Alaskan waters due to quarantine rules, the challenge of getting the stake seemed daunting.
“The lockdown was a real possibility and it was a scary idea for us,” says Hansen.
That threat put more pressure on an already deadly job. Alaska crab hunting is the most dangerous occupation in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, causing 300 deaths per 100,000 employees. Work in the Bering Sea As the season turns from autumn to winter, daylight diminishes, storms break out, seas build up, shifts last for 18 hours or more, the greatest risks are drowning and hypothermia, but injuries are also common.
Hansen says business nature is a big part of the show’s longevity –The deadliest catch Ranks within the Top 15 Reality TV Shows in Action.
“I think people really value a work ethic,” he says. They are inspired by Risk and reward And the struggles we are experiencing. It’s not a 9 to 5 job.
The show has always focused on that dynamic, and it has become more refined in showing it, while still retaining the raw feeling of looking behind the curtain. This season, the crews have highlighted the camaraderie between the captains and the crews more than it has been in the past.
“Yes, we will be competing and lying to each other,” says Hansen. But at the end of the day there is mutual respect. If someone needs help, you will help, even if it is your archenemy. Our relationships are much deeper than people realize, or even perceive ourselves. “
That might be more important after this season. Controversial documentary Conspiracy It raises questions about the sustainability and ethics of commercial fishing globally. Hansen admits to using king crab hunting for overfishing. But today, “it’s all about sustainability,” he says. “We want cancers out there for future generations.”
This is Hansen’s personal goal. Part of the story of Season 17 is his move into retirement, with his daughter Mandy in the captain’s chair.
“She thinks on her own and makes judgments,” he says. “Sometimes it undermines me.”
He wouldn’t say when Mandy might take over the boat or how long the chain would last. All he will say is that the essence of what makes TV compelling is not going anywhere.
“There is only one way to catch cancer,” he says. “We will always do it the same way back in prehistoric times.”
The deadliest catch The show premieres Tuesday, April 20 at 8 PM EST on Discovery and is now airing on Discovery +
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