Almost every part of our lives have been COVID-19. In the fishing industry, it is no different. The long-running show Deadliest Catch will show viewers just what it means to those in the crabbing industry and it will get started March 19 on Discovery+. The series will begin airing on April 20 for traditional viewing on The Discovery Channel.
In the wake of the global pandemic, half the crab boats of the Bering Sea fleet are tied up in Seattle. Now an existential threat faces the fishermen who make the long-haul trip to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, for the 2021 Crab season – a potential closure of the entire fishery. Crabbing isn’t just a way of life for the captains and their crew. This year, it’s a fight for the industry’s survival. If they’re going to make it work, the fleet will need to make sacrifices and band together across lines – even with long-sworn enemies. Their livelihood depends on it or they could potentially face the end of their careers. DEADLIEST CATCH returns with a season like no other before, streaming exclusively first on Friday, March 19 on discovery+, ahead of the season premiere airing Tuesday, April 20 at 8 PM ET/PT on Discovery.
Photo courtesy of Discover+
It’s been a tough year for everyone, especially for the crabbing fleet in Alaska. Due to government-imposed lockdowns, Alaska Department of Fish and Game weren’t able to conduct their summer crab survey. Meaning this year, the captains will be fishing blind with no charts or guidance on where to find crab on the grounds – making an already challenging season even more difficult. It doesn’t take long for the captains to realize that they can’t start this season without a new approach.
Spearheading their defense is Captain Sig Hansen from the F/V Northwestern– who proposes a two-pronged plan to save the fishery. First, Sig needs someone who isn’t afraid to stick his neck out. And there is only one person that comes to mind – his good friend and legendary crabber Johnathan Hillstrand.
Johnathan would bring a massive operation, as commander of the F/V Time Bandit, and could provide a lifeline to help catch the fleet’s towering 5-million-pound fall season quota. But will Johnathan agree to come out of retirement? And leave behind everything and everyone he loves during such difficult times?
Sig’s second strategy goes against everything the old-time crabbers have ever done before – working together as a pack. It’s a huge risk and requires honesty and cooperation from everyone. But can the captains put the good of the fleet ahead of their own interests? Some of them have their doubts.
Just days ahead of the season launch, Captain Keith Colburn of the F/V Wizard has his own set of problems. His WW2-era boat is in need of maintenance, and the captain desperately needs a fruitful season to pay for his upcoming shipyard. Enter Captain Scott Campbell Jr. of the F/V Lady Alaska. Scott believes he has secret intel on where to find crab. Scott hatches a plan to share his intel with longtime rival Keith in exchange for quota. However, when he approaches him, things don’t go exactly as Scott had hoped.
On the F/V Saga, Captain Jake Anderson is back and aiming to secure more quota. But will this young captain be able to pull off a successful season when he’s come up empty in the past? Or will F/V Northwestern’s reserve captain, Mandy Hansen, enlist Jake in her own plan to tank their combined share of the total crab quota?
Also returning this year are Captains Josh Harris and Casey McManus of the F/V Cornelia Marie. This year, they struggled to find a strong crew and must call upon their business partner Jeff Silva from Hawaii to join them. Though Jeff proves that he puts the green in greenhorn shortly after setting sail.
Finally, rounding out the fleet this year is Captain Wild Bill and the F/V Summer Bay. His crew has faced incredible loss this past year including the passing of deckhand Mahlon Reyes, who suffered a deadly heart attack at the young age of 38 years old. Bill and his crew honor Mahlon’s memory by giving him a proper fisherman’s burial at sea before setting off on the new crabbing season. But just as they attempt to leave the dock, crew member Nick McGlashan suddenly falls ill with a fever. Will Bill even be able to leave in time? Or will he be out of the fishing game for good this season as his crew must isolate from each other?
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