Fifteen years after he started to fish for the crabs 120 miles off the East Coast, Williams is close to achieving his goal of putting the obscure crustacean on the culinary map.
"It is very little-known, but we are trying to change that," said Williams.
While many fishermen dispute scientists' assessments of the health of New England's groundfish stocks and other marine species, Williams has actively sought out researchers' help. The results have allowed him to become virtually a one-man fishery.
He owns the majority of the handful of permits allowed to catch deep-sea red crab -- a fishery valued at $2.4
