Description
The red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) is also known as the Kamchatka crab or Alaskan king crab and is native to the Okhotsk and Japan seas, the Bering Sea and the northern Pacific Ocean. It was introduced to the Barents Sea by Soviet fishery scientists between 1961 and 1969. Today, this species is common in the southern Barents Sea shelf from northern Norway in the west to Kolguev Island in the east. The crab stock has been commercially fished in Russia since 2004.
Red king crab is one of the largest edible crab species in the world. Crabs can grow as large as 28cm with a leg span of up 1.8m and can reach weights of 10 to 15kg.
What could be more of a delicacy than a crab caught in the cold waters of Alaska with a short catchment period and shipped right to your door here in Australia. Long legs, meaty claw and a softish shell that is easy to crack, you will impress everyone with the size of these crab clusters.
Scientists from the Polar Institute of Fishery and Oceanography (PINRO) make annual stock assessments using several independent methods and the total allowable catch is set on the basis of harvest control rules. This ensures the sustainability of the king crab harvest.
