Understanding the Cost of Crab Meat: Why It's Priced Higher Than Other Seafood (2024)

FAQs

Understanding the Cost of Crab Meat: Why It's Priced Higher Than Other Seafood? ›

One of the main reasons why crab meat is expensive is due to the high cost of catching and processing the crabs. Crabbing is a labor-intensive process that requires skilled workers to operate specialized equipment such as crab traps and crab pots.

The Crab Supply Chain

Each player adds their own cost, often leading to increased crab prices. For example, because fuel and labor prices are up, fisherman have to spend more money to do their job. In turn, they have to charge more to meet their bottomline.

When it comes to price, king crab is generally more expensive than lobster. This is because king crab is more challenging to catch and harvest than lobster, and it's also less abundant. As a result, it's often considered a more luxurious and exclusive option than lobster.

Due to its sought after taste, juicy pieces of meat, and the limited time frame in which you can catch king crab – the price per pound always tends to be higher than snow crab.

Snow crab. Snow crabs are among the top-tier of the species that can fetch exorbitant prices. Although the crustacean is also found in parts of Greenland, Eastern Canada and Alaska, the ones from Japan are particularly the most expensive crabs for eating whose price can run into thousands of dollars.

The Cost of Catching and Processing Crab Meat. One of the main reasons why crab meat is expensive is due to the high cost of catching and processing the crabs. Crabbing is a labor-intensive process that requires skilled workers to operate specialized equipment such as crab traps and crab pots.

The lack of sea ice due to global warming contributed to the decline in the arctic species, which matures in cold pools on the ocean floor. Less ice combined with warmer waters made much of the snow crabs' habitat inhospitable, making way for many to die off. The snow crab stock shortage has economic consequences.

The increasing popularity of seafood, especially in countries like the United States, has created a high demand for these products. As a result, suppliers can charge higher prices, knowing that consumers are willing to pay a premium for their favorite seafood dishes.

Labor-Intensive Harvesting

Catching stone crabs is a labor-intensive process. Harvesting the crabs requires skilled fishermen to set and retrieve traps, then carefully remove the claws without harming the crab. This process is time-consuming, and the cost of labor is factored into the final price of the crab claws.

Crab, like most seafood, is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and protein. Together, these vitamins and minerals help decrease cholesterol levels, reducing your risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. They also help to lower your risk of suffering from a heart attack or stroke.

Which crab is best to eat, male or female? ›

Male crabs are meatier and are the preferred crab for steaming. You can tell a male blue crab by its “apron,” the underbelly shell of the crab, which is narrow compared to the female's. Female crabs are fattier and are preferred for soup.

Snow Crab. Like King crabs, Snow crabs have very long legs that provide a lot of their meat, which is a little more fibrous than King crab, but very tasty. Because their legs are thinner and less impressive than king crab legs, they are less popular with restaurants and thus more affordable for you.

If you're looking for more meat and don't mind spending more money, choose the king crab. If you're looking for a more budget-friendly dinner, order the snow crab.

Male crabs are usually more expensive, especially the bigger ones, because people think they have more meat and are bigger. Female crabs, while sometimes less in demand, can fetch premium prices when their roe is in season, attracting enthusiasts who seek this unique flavor.

As we have explained, king crab has a short harvesting season, which leads to limited availability. They also have a limited cold water habitat. Additionally, they have a lobster-like flavor. This makes king crab the more expensive of the two; snow crab legs are typically more affordable than king crab ones.

Global seafood consumption has risen significantly in recent years. In the U.S. alone, we eat 102 billion dollars' worth annually. But as demand increases, so too have the costs of bait, fuel and labor. “These are nuances that consumers don't really hear about unless they talk to the fishmonger,” Wong says.

Strong demand and fewer local crabs mean more imports and "everybody's going to pay more.” Fewer crabs, higher prices, not great! Photograph by Jay Fleming. A report released Thursday by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation highlights the looming threats facing the region's blue crabs.

“The sales in 2022 did not keep pace with production,” he said, adding that the current sales rate, based on (U.S.) import data, is still lower than the rate necessary to use up the surplus by the time new crab is ready to go into production. As a result, prices of snow crab packages have dropped significantly.