# Antarctica's got crabs! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 15, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394 "2011-09-15T14:31:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/1 "2011-09-15T14:31:09Z")
[King crabs](http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/14/king-crabs-invade-antarctica/?hpt=hp_bn2), no less! Interesting article, I guess, but the doom and gloom tone overlooks one very important point: YUMMY! Sure, they wreak havoc on everything that isn’t a king crab but, and I think this bears repeating: YUMMY! This is a perfect scenario: a crab fishery that environmentalists WANT to be overfished for king crab! This is like crying about the evolution of flowering plants outcompeting the other useless weeds. Finally we’re starting to see some benefits from global warming. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/2 "2011-09-15T14:37:54Z")
Bring me my environmentally friendly lobster bib. Will it contribute to global warming if I draw some butter? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/3 "2011-09-15T14:49:28Z")
Good God. Does this mean we’ll finally see a combination of “Deadliest Catch” and “Whale Wars”? The Hansens and the Hillstrands head South, while Watson and his gang of idealistic morons try to stop them? I cannot conceive of a better TV show. ---
**Author:** ![PacifistPorcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PacifistPorcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PacifistPorcupine)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/4 "2011-09-15T15:11:45Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Good God. Does this mean we’ll finally see a combination of “Deadliest Catch” and “Whale Wars”? The Hansens and the Hillstrands head South, while Watson and his gang of idealistic morons try to stop them? I cannot conceive of a better TV show. The Hillstrands carry at least an AK-47 and an AR-15 on the boat. I’m not sure I would try too much stupid stuff around them. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/5 "2011-09-15T15:13:32Z")
Piffle. Takes more than that to stop a crabber! ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/6 "2011-09-15T15:18:21Z")
I’m a bit skeptical that an Antarctic crab fishery wold ever pay off. The Southern Ocean is even more dangerous that the Bering Sea, and there’s no friendly USCG around to rescue you. The distances are enormous-and there aren’t any local ports-is South Georgia still in use? I once read that the Southern Ocean is home to the largest biomass in the world (the krill)-bt nobody has ever made any money fishing for krill. On the other hand, if somebody is brave enough (or foolish enough) to attempt this, go for it! ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/7 "2011-09-15T15:34:45Z")
> [@](#): > > The Kamtchatka giant crab, a species of king crab is native to the Bering Sea, north Pacific Ocean, around the Kamchatka Peninsula and neighboring Alaskan waters. I don’t know about Antarctica, but I can tell you from experience that having those crabs try to invade the Kamchatka Peninsula is a blunder. Sure, it seems like a natural progression, making the jump from Alaska. But in Alaska they’re in a fortified position. They’re just going to overextend themselves in Asia, hoping to get those 7 additional crab armies per turn. It’s a tactical, rookie mistake and I’d have expected the crabs to know better. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/8 "2011-09-15T16:11:24Z")
Well that’s why they’re making their play for the southern hemisphere, specifically Australia. Clearly their plan is to amass a huge army and then secure Asia’s western border in the same set of moves. I, for one welcome our new, deliciously-steamed overloards. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/9 "2011-09-15T16:30:01Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > I don’t know about Antarctica, but I can tell you from experience that having those crabs try to invade the Kamchatka Peninsula is a blunder. Sure, it seems like a natural progression, making the jump from Alaska. But in Alaska they’re in a fortified position. They’re just going to overextend themselves in Asia, hoping to get those 7 additional crab armies per turn. It’s a tactical, rookie mistake and I’d have expected the crabs to know better. That’s a risk they’ll have to take. I’m going to start a musical ensemble that plays the rock and roll music just so can name it Seven Additional Crab Armies. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/10 "2011-09-15T16:35:36Z")
How is this going to effect the penguins? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/11 "2011-09-15T16:44:16Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I’m a bit skeptical that an Antarctic crab fishery wold ever pay off. The Southern Ocean is even more dangerous that the Bering Sea, and there’s no friendly USCG around to rescue you. The distances are enormous-and there aren’t any local ports-is South Georgia still in use? > I once read that the Southern Ocean is home to the largest biomass in the world (the krill)-bt nobody has ever made any money fishing for krill. > On the other hand, if somebody is brave enough (or foolish enough) to attempt this, go for it! Cruise ships tour the Antarctic coastline, so it can’t be as impossible as all that. Plus, in years past there used to be whaling stations and penguin-hunting facilities in Antarctica. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/12 "2011-09-15T17:33:02Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > I don’t know about Antarctica, but I can tell you from experience that having those crabs try to invade the Kamchatka Peninsula is a blunder. Sure, it seems like a natural progression, making the jump from Alaska. But in Alaska they’re in a fortified position. They’re just going to overextend themselves in Asia, hoping to get those 7 additional crab armies per turn. It’s a tactical, rookie mistake and I’d have expected the crabs to know better. Well played. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/13 "2011-09-15T17:54:43Z")
Wife and I used to split an order of king crab legs at a favorite sea food restaurant. The menu item used to be 1.5 pounds of legs, but last time we ordered it we were disappointed to see that it had been reduced to 1 pound (for the same price). I would love to see this new supply tapped, bringng the price down (and/or quantity up). ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/14 "2011-09-15T19:10:58Z")
In order to make it a more natural, locally-grown food supply, we’ll just have to figure out how to turn crab milk into delicious, moderately non-nutritious crab butter… and how to milk the crabs… ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/15 "2011-09-15T20:14:53Z")
Now I feel like a terrible person because all I can think is ‘yum.’ ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/16 "2011-09-15T20:30:20Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > In order to make it a more natural, locally-grown food supply, we’ll just have to figure out how to turn crab milk into delicious, moderately non-nutritious crab butter… and how to milk the crabs… You’re thinking of prairie crabs, which are nearly extinct. I understand it was thrilling to see one take down a bison. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/17 "2011-09-16T16:33:58Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Well that’s why they’re making their play for the southern hemisphere, specifically Australia. . Thanks a heap. As if I always wanted crabs. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarcticas-got-crabs/596394/18 "2011-09-16T16:58:53Z")
I want these 'king crabs off this 'king continent!