The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has currently CLOSED commercial and recreational crab harvesting from just north of Winchester Bay to the California border due to elevated levels of domoic acid toxin. This includes Dungeness crab and red rock crab harvested from the ocean, in bays and estuaries, and on beaches, docks, piers and jetties.
The recreational harvest of razor clams is also CLOSED from the Washington border to the California border for domoic acid toxin. However, the recreational harvesting of mussels is OPEN from the Washington border to the California border as well as the recreational harvest of bay clams is OPEN along the entire Oregon Coast from the Columbia River to the California border.
Re-opening beaches for recreational harvest after a biotoxin closure requires two separate samples with toxin results below the closure limit. These samples must be at least one week apart.
It is always recommended you 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 you 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.
