NEWPORT, Ore.—Fresh Oregon crab is back on the menu soon as the commercial Dungeness crab fishing season will open on some of Oregon’s coast as of Jan. 4, 2019. Dungeness crab will be ready to be harvested from Cape Arago to the Columbia River and north into Washington on that date.

Prior to the opener, crab vessels will set gear from Jan. 1 onward, using the “pre-soak” period of time to set gear in anticipation of the first pull of ocean crab pots on Jan. 4.

The area south of Cape Arago will remain closed to commercial Dungeness crab fishing due to a combination of low meat quality and persisting domoic acid in some of the region.  Continued testing will determine when the remaining area can open.

The remainder of the coast is clear of domoic acid and all Oregon crab product on the market is safe to eat.

Recreational crab harvesting is also open from Cape Blanco to the Washington border.

For more information about Oregon’s shellfish marine bio-toxin monitoring, call ODA’s shellfish safety information hotline at (800) 448‐2474 or visit the ODA shellfish closures web page at: http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/FoodSafety/Shellfish/Pages/ShellfishClosures.aspx.

For more information on domoic acid and other bio-toxins check out these scholarly articles:

http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/10/12/526

https://pubag.nal.usda.gov/catalog/5658789