If you were hoping to serve Oregon Dungeness Crab at your New Year’s celebration, you’ll want to change the menu. State officials have announced a nearly one-month delay in the commercial crabbing season. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.
Recent testing across the Tri-State region shows crabs aren’t really meaty yet. And some sampled between Cape Blanco to the California border showed elevated levels of domoic acid.
Troy Buell of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife explains why it’s important to monitor for this.
“Domoic acid is a neurotoxin that can cause amnesic shellfish poisoning. And it is important to ensure that all the seafood supply coming from the ocean to consumers in the marketplace is safe.”
The season was set to open December 1st, but now is delayed until the 31st. But further testing will determine if Dungeness Crab season needs to be delayed further. Last year, 23 million pounds’ worth of the crustacean was landed in Oregon.
Copyright 2018, KLCC.