All recreational crabbing along a roughly 108-mile stretch of the Oregon coast is now closed due to concerns over domoic acid, a marine toxin.
The closure announced by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife stretches from eight miles north of Winchester Bay to Cape Blanco.
ODFW says recent tests show domoic acid is above the human health closure limit. Domoic acid is produced by algae and originates in the ocean.
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Reopening an area closed for biotoxins requires two consecutive tests with results below the closure limit, ODFW says. Tests happen twice per month.
ODFW says recreational crab harvesters are advised to always eviscerate crab before cooking. That includes removing and discarding the viscera, internal organs and gills.
Commercial crabbers will be required to eviscerate any commercial crab they’ve caught depending on when and where they caught it. The commercial updates page has more information.
