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Seafood Watch - Seafood Guide

King Crab

©Monterey Bay Aquarium
SEAFOODRATINGMARKET NAMESWHERE CAUGHTHOW CAUGHT
Blue Crab Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Blue-Claw Crab, Hardshell Crab, Kani, Softshell Crab U.S. Pot
Blue Crab Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Blue-Claw Crab, Hardshell Crab, Kani, Softshell Crab U.S. Chesapeake Bay Trotline
Dungeness Crab Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Commercial Crab, Market Crab, Pacific Edible Crab, San Francisco Crab Alaska Trap
Dungeness Crab Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Commercial Crab, Market Crab, Pacific Edible Crab, San Francisco Crab California, Oregon, Washington Trap
Jonah Crab Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Atlantic Dungeness Crab U.S. Atlantic Wild-caught
King Crab Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Alaska King Crab, Blue King Crab, Golden King Crab, Kani, Red King Crab U.S. Trap
King Crab, Red Avoid: Avoid these products for now. These fish come from sources that are overfished or fished or farmed in ways that harm the environment. Blue King Crab, Golden King Crab, Kani, King Crab, Red King Crab Russia Trap
King Crab, Southern Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. King Crab, Southern Red King Crab, Centolla Argentina Pot,Trap
Kona Crab Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Frog Crab, Papa'i kualoa, Spanner Crab Hawaii Wild-caught
Kona Crab Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Frog Crab, Spanner Crab Australia Wild-caught
Snow Crab Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Kani, Queen Crab, Snow Crab, Spider Crab, Tanner Crab Eastern Bering Sea, U.S. Pot, Trap
Snow Crab Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Kani, Queen Crab, Snow Crab, Spider Crab, Tanner Crab Eastern Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Pot, Trap
Snow Crab Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Kani, Queen Crab, Snow Crab, Spider Crab, Tanner Crab Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada Pot, Trap
Stone Crab Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Florida Stone Crab, Gulf Stone Crab U.S. Atlantic, U.S. Gulf of Mexico Trap


King Crab

Red king crab imported from Russia is ranked as "Avoid" due to overfishing and illegal fishing. Look for U.S. king crab and Southern king crab from Argentina as "Good Alternatives."

Consumer Note

Southern king crab is being increasingly sold in the U.S. in place of Russian-caught red king crab which is a Seafood Watch "Avoid". It may be marketed simply as "king crab" and so buyers should ask where it comes from. King crab is known as kani when prepared as sushi.

Summary

King crab is found in cold oceans worldwide. Crab populations can vary widely from year to year, depending on ocean and weather conditions.

Trap fisheries are usually low in bycatch and do not cause significant harm to seafloor habitats. Any crabs caught that are too small to be legally sold can also be safely returned to the ocean.The two primary king crab populations in Alaska are healthy and abundant due to responsible fisheries management. Others have been closed to allow time to recover from previous overfishing.

Southern king crab caught by trap in Argentine waters is a "Good Alternative." Landings of southern king crabs have been increasing in recent years, but there are concerns about the numbers of crabs caught in other fisheries as bycatch. The level of bycatch in this trap fishery is very low, as the traps have escape rings to allow younger crabs to self-release.

Approximately half of all king crab sold in the U.S. market is imported from Russia, where it is fished in the Russian Far East and the Barents Sea. Far East king crab populations are at critically low levels, a situation made worse by regular overfishing and illegal fishing. In the Barents Sea, king crab was introduced in the 1960s. The crab has spread quickly and has become an invasive species that is seriously impacting the ecosystem. We recommend consumers "Avoid" imported red king crab and choose king crab from the U.S. or Southern king crab from Argentina.



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