Recreational Crabbing Now Back Open Along All of Oregon Coast

Published 12/04/24 at 6:25 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Newport, Oregon) - The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife have announced that recreational crabbing is now along the entire Oregon coast in all bays and the ocean. However, commercial bay crabbing remains closed coastwide, in line with the delayed ocean commercial season.

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

Before heading out to harvest any shellfish, people should always call the Shellfish Safety Hotline at 1-800-448-2474 or visit the ODA Recreational Shellfish Biotoxin Closures Webpage.

Current recreational harvest closures and openings:

Crabs:
OPEN the entire Oregon coast.

Razor clams:
OPEN from the WA border to Cascade Head (most of the upper half of the coastline to just shy of Lincoln City.)
CLOSED from Cascade Head to the CA border. This is in effect for Lincoln City, Newport, Yachats, Florence, Reedsport, Coos Bay area, Bandon, Gold Beach, Port Orford and Brookings.

Mussels:
OPEN coastwide.

Bay clams:
OPEN coastwide.

What is domoic acid, and why is it so common? The warming ocean, a result of climate change, plays a significant role, as noted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Oregon State University (OSU).

The Seaside Aquarium has issued some explanations. Pseudo-nitzschia, a type of algae, can produce domoic acid, according to Tiffany Boothe from the aquarium. There are 58 types of Pseudo-nitzschia, but not all produce the biotoxin.

Photo Seaside Aquarium

“When conditions are right, this diatom can rapidly increase in numbers, creating blooms that can dominate the phytoplankton community for extended periods,” she explained.

It is estimated that the west coast Dungeness crab industry lost over $100 million in 2015 alone due to this issue.

In areas open to crab harvesting, it is recommended to eviscerate the crab and remove the guts before cooking. This includes the removal and disposal of viscera, internal organs, and gills, as toxins cannot be removed by cooking, freezing, or any other treatment.

The ODA will continue testing for shellfish toxins at least twice per month, depending on tides and weather conditions. Reopening an area closed due to biotoxins requires two consecutive tests with results below the closure limit.

For more information, call the ODA's shellfish biotoxin hotline at (800) 448-2474, the ODA Food Safety Program at 503-986-4720, or visit the ODA Recreational Shellfish Biotoxin Closures Webpage.

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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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