Oregon Coast Commercial Crabbing Fishery in Ocean and Bays Opens in Dec

Published 12/09/24 at 5:45 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Newport, Oregon) – It looks like there will be local Oregon crab in time for the holidays.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) this week announced the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery from one part of the north Oregon coast down to the southern border, starting December 16. The region opened is from Cape Falcon near Manzanita to the California border off Brookings.

Biologists testing the crab found no contamination of biotoxins.

“Pre-season testing in this area shows crab meat fill meets criteria and domoic acid is below the safety threshold,” ODFW said.

However, on the Washington coast and north of Cape Falcon the news wasn't as good for crabbers. Pre-season testing in Long Beach, Washington has revealed that crab meat fill is significantly lower than the required standard for commercial harvest. As a result, Oregon's north coast will open in coordination with southern Washington to ensure that consumers receive a quality product and to prevent crab wastage. The earliest possible opening date for this area is December 31.

Long Beach, Washington

The commercial fleet is permitted to begin the presoak period, during which baited crab pots can be placed in the water, on December 13 from Cape Falcon to the California border. This presoak period allows permit holders to deploy their gear in an equitable, organized, and safe manner, enabling all to start harvesting crab on December 16 in this region.

Weekly updates on the season opening will continue to be posted until a decision is made regarding the opening of the north coast.

Oregon's commercial Dungeness crab fishery remains sustainable due primarily to ODFW's "3 S's" management system:

Meanwhile, up on the Washington coast, wildlife officials have been making some unusual crab finds recently. Unusually Large Number of Female Dungeness on Washington Coast Beaches, Officials a Little Worried

1 – Season: Although it's always targeted to greenlight commercial crabbing on December 1, the season can be delayed or partially opened so consumers get a safe, high-quality product and crab are not wasted.

2 – Sex of the crab: female crab cannot be captured and are instead released back into the water to ensure harvesting in the future and a healthy population.

3 - Size: ODFW said only mature male crabs at least 6 ¼ inches across the back of the shell can be harvested. Smaller male crabs are released.

Bay crabbing on the Oregon coast for commercial harvesters opens back up on December 16. That happens from Cape Falcon to the California border, timed with the commercial ocean fishery. It will be a short one, however. The commercial bay crab season closes at 11:59 p.m. December 31.

Near Cape Falcon - Oregon Coast Beach Connection

ODFW also recently announced that recreational crabbing is now open along the entire Oregon coast in all bays and the ocean.

Two consecutive tests of crab samples had shown that domoic acid levels (a marine biotoxin) were below the safety threshold from Cape Blanco to California. This area had been closed since November 14th due to high levels of domoic acid.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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