Since the 1970s all pots in Alaska's crab fisheries have used biodegradable cotton thread in escape panels. This cotton thread degrades within 30 days to allow for all crab to escape.The Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab fleet has funded an onboard fisheries observer monitoring program since 1988. Observers are an important element of fisheries research as they document the catch rates and sizes of crab harvested.