12/06/2017
Crabbing back open north of the river!!!
Recreational crab harvesting reopens on central coast
December 5, 2017
Recreational crabbing is now open from the north jetty of the Coquille River to the Columbia River.
An area from Tahkenitch Creek (north of Wi******er Bay) to Cape Foulweather (north of Newport) was previously closed due to elevated domoic acid levels. Recent crab samples taken from the area indicate these levels have dropped and remain below the alert level.
This reopening of the recreational season applies to crab harvested in the ocean and in bays and estuaries, and on beaches, docks, piers, and jetties. Recreational crab harvesting remains closed along the southern Oregon coast from the north jetty of the Coquille River (including the Coquille estuary) to the California border.
Reminder that it's always good to eviscerate the crab and discard the "butter" (viscera or guts) prior to cooking. When whole crab are cooked in liquid, domoic acid may leach into the cooking liquid. It is recommended to discard the cooking liquid, and do not use it in other dishes, such as sauces, broths, soups, stews, stocks, roux, dressings, etc. The consumption of crab viscera is not recommended.
Always call ODA’s shellfish safety information hotline at (800) 448-2474 or visit the ODA shellfish closures web page before crabbing for the latest info, http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/FoodSafety/Shellfish/Pages/ShellfishClosures.aspx
See full news release, including information on commercial crabbing, at http://bit.ly/2B07SMO
