Recreational Dungeness Crab Fishery to Open in Last Closed Area in Humboldt County After Delay Due to Public Health Risks
Live Dungeness crabs for sale at a Seattle market. [Photo from CDFW]
The last area of the recreational Dungeness crab fishery in Humboldt County opened [yesterday] after being delayed due to elevated levels of domoic acid.
State health agencies determined that Dungeness crab in waters from the southern boundary of the Reading Rock Marine Protected Areas (41° 17.6’ N. latitude) to Cape Mendocino (40° 10.0’ N. latitude) can open. While the area is open to fishing, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a health advisory to not eat crab viscera (also known as guts) and to clean crab prior to cooking.
Following the recommendation from state health agencies, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Acting Director Valerie Termini declared the recreational Dungeness crab fishery open in the remaining delayed area of Humboldt County.
Due to the potential for whales in this area to become entangled in trap buoy lines, Dungeness crab may currently only be taken with hoop nets, crab snares, or by hand in accordance with the declared trap prohibition in RAMP Fishing Zone 1. Effective 8:01 a.m., Jan. 2, 2026, crab trap restrictions in this area will be lifted and all recreational gear types may be used statewide.
After being delayed due to entanglement risk, the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in the Central Management Area (Sonoma/Mendocino County line (38°46.125’ N. latitude) to Point Conception (34°27’ N. latitude)) will open on Jan. 5, 2026, at 12:01 a.m., under a 40% trap reduction. The trap reduction is expected to reduce entanglement risk for humpback whales by decreasing the number of vertical lines attached to traps in the water. The Dungeness crab season in the Northern Management Area (California/Oregon border (42° N. latitude) to the Sonoma/Mendocino County line) remains delayed because of the inability to conduct meat quality testing due to elevated levels of domoic acid. Pending results of ongoing domoic acid testing, the season will open on Jan. 15, 2026, at 12:01 a.m., under a 15% trap reduction.
For more information related to the risk assessment process, please visit CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries page. For more information on the Dungeness crab fishery, please visit CDFW’s Invertebrates of Interest: Crabs page.
For the latest information on domoic acid, health advisories and season closures, please see the following:
CDFW:
- Domoic Acid Fishery Closure Information Line: (831) 649-2883
CDPH:
- Domoic Acid results website (subsection Analytical Data – Crabs)
- Shellfish advisories page for latest consumption warnings
- Biotoxin information Line: (510) 412-4643 or (800) 553-4133
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I wish there was more transparency with demoic acid testing and results. It seems kind of funny that with such a popular and much anticipated fishery that suddenly and mysteriously with little to no advanced notice the crab are suddenly safe to eat. I think CDFW should disclose how and when crab are sampled and tested for demonic acid as well as the sample size and test results. The same should be done for the razor clam tests. While I’m glad crab fishing locally is finally allowed I wish that CDFW could have given a little advanced notice like is normally done instead of just issuing a press release after the season has already opened. CDFW staff was less than helpful when I tried to gauge a possible opening date over the last several weeks.
I seriously agree with you I went to F/G on Monday to get my fishing license for 2026 and asked the officer behind the counter the same questions I dont know how old you are but Ive been catching and eating these crab for 50 years in Humboldt and never gotten sick Why is this demoic acid all the sudden a big problem in the crab? The officer just shook his head because he didnt have a good answer for me With that being said you have a very happy and wonderful New Year
The answer is climate change and increasing seawater temperatures.
cdfw is using demoic acid as a excuse to save the whales. When they test, if one crab in twenty has ANY DA, cdfw calls it dangerous. Its always been there, but only dangerous if you consume when DA is in a bloom. Its not.
Amazing how anyone survived prior to when Domoic Acid came to the forefront. The salient moment, as I understand, came in Canada, British Columbia-Puget Sound when there was a crab feed at an old folks home (think highly vulnerable) in the Summer (July I think?). A couple of them died and a handful got sick. They fish for crab there in the Summer months. This event apparently coincided with extreme red tide conditions. Ever since the Domoic Acid concern came forward to what it is today. Local Public Health did the testing – don’t know if that continues. Testing was predicated on when the “dedicated Authorities” could get out to get samples (think nicer weather). In the Northern part of California, it is a regulatory machination along with the “whales” to make the Northcoast one big “Park – Sanctuary” . The people behind this are the same ones that covered the central and lower part of coastal California in concrete and asphalt (for the most part) and the sheer number of people decimated the local marine resources there. They are now compelled to save an area relatively pristine to what used to be in the lower part of California. It has now widened as a regulatory mechanism along the entire West Coast. “Why Wouldn’t You Want To Save The World ?” Is the convincing guilt mechanism to keep everyone “in line””. Younger folks are highly vested in this manipulation and “blame” older folks for causing it. Many people still like to eat crab – it will cost more.
You do realize that the Domoic Acid concerns and following closures are coast-wide, right? It isn’t just a California thing.
Yes, I am! Perhaps you have insight as to my further question towards incidence/medical diagnosis/infection? These would seem to be reportable to Public Health? Are there other historical confirmed cases of Domoic Acid poisoning up and down the coast?
It wasn’t a crab feed that caused the illness and death in BC in the 80s. It was blue mussels and over 200 people were impacted to varying degrees, including death in some cases. I think you got the idea that it was a senior care home because it did affect older people more severely.
It certainly raised awareness of “DOM intoxication”. As the oceans warm up the incidence of Domoic acid in shellfish has risen. OMFG, the Blob (a severe marine water “heatwave” ) in 2015 really brought it to the fore, as in really got our attention, when it kept the fishery closed into January. After that year I’d tell the crew to save their shrimp money, because there was no guarantee there be any crab income for Christmas.
That became the norm until 2021 when with very short notice ODFW announced a Dec. 1st opening. Now, again the season is delayed to varying degrees and in different regions. I think you aren’t clear who does the testing btw. California does have the Public Health Dept, along with the CDFW and NOAA. In Oregon and Washington it is the ODFW and the WDFW, again in coordination with NOAA and other agencies.
So I can’t point to any other incidences of DOM poisoning, because, you know, it is being monitored so stringently.
(edit: it was Prince Edward Island, not BC…)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X2212380X
A new type of seafood toxicity, called amnesic shellfish poisoning, was described from 107 human cases after individuals consumed mussels containing domoic acid harvested from Prince Edward Island, Canada, in 1987.
My understanding was the “Old Folks Home” was the initial situation that the incidence was traced back to. My understanding was it was Dungeness Crab not mussels. If it was mussels, it still begs the question as to surveillance/medically reported diagnosis incidence that traces back to crab? Where are the supporting stats other than the general red tide concerns. As I said people were eating crab in great numbers and there was no concern. The general red tide concerns related to mussels – clams has been known for a very, very long time.
The Canada incident was, as I pointed out, was the first recognized Domoic Acid “event”.
Your “understanding” of the 87 event is wrong. Where did you get that “understanding” from?
My understanding came from Vancouver B.C. I am aware of the Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning moniker. My interest is the reporting/incidence/surveillance for f/u and confirmation concerning Amnesic Shellfish poisoning as related to Dungeness Crab? You have any information? You seem to be very confrontational.
What do you mean came from “Vancouver BC”?
How is a region a source of information?
Vancouver is the largest city in the Province – lol.
What point do you believe you’re making with that statement?
IMHO:
Did a ‘student’ research paper on ‘Shellfish Poisoning’ long ago… well before the 1987 incident.
Interesting stuff. Read several accounts of poisoning from ‘seafood feeds’.
After the feed…
Non resident ‘out of towners’ got sick.
Local residents were fine.
People who lived along the coast and regularly ate mussels/shellfish… had built up a ‘natural resistance’ in their bodies.
Interesting.
There has been 15 known fatalities over the last 80 years Associated to DA all in Alaska with about 100 confirmed cases of sickness caused by DA a year Nationwide. So you’re well over a million times more likely to eat yourself to death from other food..lol
IMHO:
No CRAB closures due to ‘demoic acid’… anywhere beyond Newsom’s Californika.
Washington said don’t eat Crab hepatopancrease (guts).
Which is probably a good thing that organ system concentrates ‘toxins’ from the crabs diet.
Are there any surveillance/incidence numbers for infection/medical diagnosis in California to back up the regulatory concerns? If so, where are they found? Am aware of only one situation in British Columbia years ago related to crab feed at an “old folks” home in july? that coincided with a “red tide” situation.
Wrong. The acceptable level for DA is greater than 0.
Here’s what I found for testing results, CB: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/CDPH%20Document%20Library/FDB/FoodSafetyProgram/DomoicAcid/CrabDAResultsSeptember12025toDecember262025.pdf
There is total transparency. The program protocol, procedures, and results are publicly available. Wil idea, but have you considered calling CA DFG or writing an email?
As with any decision based on testing, nobody can reasonable be expected to predict the results.
They have given advanced notice. Do you expect notice BEFORE the test is even completed?
Screaming into the wind is a solid alternative though.
My dad was a commercial fisherman for many years when I was growing up so I’m aware of the impacts of regulations on the local fisheries, not to mention my personal love of consuming crab drives my invested interest in the crab season opener. I did an article about a delayed start a few years ago and dove into the DA aspect of closures. I learned more than I ever knew I wanted to know. Here’s some good info on it for those interested: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4436692
Unfortunately there’s no amount of evidence that will change the minds of the conspiracy theorist. If they believe there’s a sinister plot to save the whales by falsifying this data, that’s what they’re probably going to believe till they die.
I have zero agenda. The vast majority of our readers don’t comment. So, while many may be committed to their beliefs, many readers may find the information useful in the link I provided. I like making information available, whether people click/read it, is up to them.
The bias in many of your articles is obvious. Sometimes it is right in the headline.
If you think you see bias in my articles or titles, feel free to reach out via email and we can examine it. Of course, everyone, including reporters, have personal beliefs and feelings, but the job is to make sure our reporting is as unbiased as possible.
As for comments, they are normally our personal opinions so inherently biased. As for the comment above, while lol may think a link to info is wasted here, I don’t. I read many people questioning things that I too have questioned in the course of an article, so I provided a link. What people do with that is up to them.
If you think there is bias in this piece, please be aware that this is a press release by the CDFW as clearly marked at the top. As with all press releases, they slant toward the mission/beliefs of that agency which is why we denote where the press release originated from so you can keep that in mind when reading it.
It’s a mystery to me… some of the reply’s?I’m talking about Domoic Acid/Dungeness Crab. Prince Edward Island is on the East Coast where there are no Dungeness Crabs and the story is about eastern mussels (Angela)? Another has no clue where Vancouver is?
Angela and I may be referring to the same incident? My point is there are different types of poisonings related to shellfish due to “Red Tides”. The most widely known for which there is actually good information is paralytic shellfish poisonings. Mussels and clams are well known for this. The Domoic Acid issue is relatively new and less attributable to actual and substantial pathological incidents. That’s why I’m hoping some actual research/incidence/documentation is prevalent like there is for paralytic shellfish poisonings? What I have read is full of words like “probable” and “might”. Maybe you can help if you figure out where Vancouver is?
Good news. There is actually a ton of research and documentation of Domoic acid poisoning. Turns out all you have to do is look for it. But I guess you’d have no motive to do that.
We all know where Vancouver is.[edit]
Gosh, I must be in a class of my own…
I figure that the delays and or early openers, in opening certain areas to crabbing or salmon fishing, and keeping others closed longer, (especially commercial seasons) have as much to do with political economics, and preferential port treatment, as they do with saving the whales and domoic acid levels…
But, I agree that this also may be misattributed to saving the whales and domoic acid levels in order for it to appear reasonable, when it really isn’t…
It’s all about the first money, as the first catches of the season, generally bring in the most money per pound, and the most heightened interest as far as enthusiastic early buyers are concerned…
There are always many flavors of wacko conspiracy theorist for any given topic.
At least I have taste…
Lisa Music,
Do you know whether or not there is a different acceptable level of Domoic Acid level/content in Dungeness Crab, used for opening the recreational Dungeness Crab fishery/season, and the Domoic Acid level/content used for opening the Commercial Dungeness Crab fishery/season..???
Because this recreational Dungeness Crab area opener you have just announced, is completely encompassed and entirely within the larger ocean area which remains, (counterintuitively and contradictorily, due to elevated domoic acid levels), currently still closed for commercial Dungeness Crab fishing…
Go figure…
Can this be clarified…???
Because it’s contradictory…
The crabs can’t be both safe to eat and not safe to eat, in the same area, and yet, that’s how this CDFW press release is written…
Is it safer to wait to eat crabs for commercial season to open, or is it less safe to to eat crab caught during the recreational season, when the area the crab are coming from, is EXACTLY the same…???
Because…
The recreational season is now open for the exact same crabs, in the exact same area, that the commercial season is still closed/delayed for, due to elevated Domoic Acid levels…
And that just doesn’t make sense…
Shouldn’t the recreational fishery remain closed, if the Domoic Acid level in crabs in that area, and beyond, is not safe enough to also open up to the commercial fishery, and it’s also not safe to open the commercial season 1° of latitude, North and South of this newly opened recreational Dungeness Crab fishing area, that you just reported has opened…???
CFW/CDPH
The action levels for domoic acid are the same for both recreational and commercial crabbing…
20 ppm in the meat…
30 ppm in the viscera…
So if I have this right… the Public Health Risk is lower and managed if you eat sport caught crab but… the Public Health Risk is not manageable if it is Commercially caught – even if you are eating the same thing ie whole crab you pick yourself … and despite having the identical Domoic Acid levels. Do the crabs know this?
1. The Legal Definition of “Adulterated” Food
Under both California and Federal (FDA) law, if a crab has domoic acid levels above the action level (\bm{>30\text{ ppm}} in the guts or \bm{>20\text{ ppm}} in the meat), it is legally considered “adulterated.”
• Commercial: It is a crime for processors or markets to sell, hold, or distribute adulterated food. Because the state cannot guarantee that every consumer will clean the crab properly, they simply cannot allow the commercial “product” into the stream of commerce until the whole animal tests safe.
Recreational: These laws don’t apply to individuals catching their own food. The state provides the data and the warnings, but the legal “barrier to entry” is lower because no commercial transaction is taking place
Gemini-
It is what it is.
The bold letters really helped…. Got it, yer on yer own if sport fishing but protected with commercial crab even if the domoic levels are the same. Nice Public Health rationale! Plus, did you shrug yer shoulders with yer palms up when you said: “it is what it is”?
Something smells pretty damn fishy and contradictory, to me…
Trust the science…
“State health agencies determined that [Recreational Fishery] Dungeness crab in waters from the southern boundary of the Reading Rock Marine Protected Areas (41° 17.6’ N. latitude) to Cape Mendocino (40° 10.0’ N. latitude) can open.”
Read that…
SOMEHOW, MAGICALLY AND MYSTERIOUSLY, INCREDIBLY, EVEN…
“Following the recommendation from state health agencies, …”
Domoic acid levels are supposedly magically within acceptable limits in Dungeness Crab…???…
…from…
… 41° 17.6′ N. latitude…
…Southerly, to…
…. 40° 10.0′ N. latitude…
🤔🧐…
Really…???
Yet…
Meanwhile…
(Simultaneously…)
Wait just a crabbin’ pickin’ minute…
“The [commercial] Dungeness crab season in the Northern Management Area (California/Oregon border (42° N. latitude) to the Sonoma/Mendocino County line [(38°46.125’ N. latitude)]) remains delayed because of the inability to conduct meat quality testing due to elevated levels of domoic acid.”
SAY WHAT…!!!???…
Read THAT…
SOMEHOW…
Elevated levels of domoic acid supposedly exceed acceptable limits in Dungeness Crab…
From…
42° N. latitude…
…Southerly to…
… 38°46.125’ N. latitude…
…???…
FFS…!!!…
WTF…!!!???…
SO YOU’RE SAYING THAT
RECREATIONAL CRABBING OPENS (41° N. to 40° N.), AND THE CRAB “THERE” ARE DEEMED FINE…
AND YET, AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME, THEY ARE IN AN AREA LOCATION SMACK DAB IN BASICALLY THE CENTER OF A GREATER INCLUSIVE DUNGENESS CRABBING AREA, (42° N. to 39° N.), WHICH STILL REMAINS CLOSED TO COMMERCIAL CRABBING BECAUSE THE CRAB “THERE” ARE OFF LIMITS DUE TO ELEVATED LEVELS OF DOMOIC ACID…???
STOP THE PRESSES…!!!
THEY ARE THE SAME DAMN CRAB…!!!
HEY, CDFW, IN ALL OF YOUR INFINITE WISDOM AND EXCEEDINGLY TRUSTWORTHY OVERSIGHT…
…NOTE TO SELF…
…(HINT:)…
…THE OPENED RECREATIONAL CRABBING AREA, IS, AS A MATTER OF FACT, …
(…WAIT FOR IT…)
…COMPLETELY AND ENTIRELY WITHIN…
…THE CLOSED COMMERCIAL CRABBING AREA, DUE TO ELEVATED DOMOIC ACID LEVELS…!!!…
YOU CANT MAKE THIS SHIT UP, FOLKS…!!!
…”WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT, AND WE’RE HERE TO HELP YOU.”…
THE HEADLINE SHOULD READ…
“CDFW OPENS HUMBOLDT RECREATIONAL DUNGENESS CRAB FISHING, IN AN AREA ENTIRELY WITHIN A LARGER AREA COMPLETELY CLOSED TO COMMERCIAL DUNGENESS CRAB FISHING WHICH IS DUE TO ELEVATED DOMOIC ACID LEVELS”…
Can someone ask CDFW for a statement on this obvious self contradiction on acceptable/safe domoic acid levels…???
Do the domoic acid levels in DUNGENESS CRAB have to be LOWER for CDFW to open up commercial crabbing than they have to be before CDFW will open up Recreational crabbing…???
(LUCKY US..!!!)
And/or,
Does CDFW open up Recreational Dungeness Crab fishing based on a different, HIGHER acceptable standard level of
Domoic Acid, than a different LOWER acceptable standard level of Domoic Acid necessary for the CDFW to open up Commercial DUNGENESS CRAB FISHING…???
IS THERE A DOUBLE STANDARD…???
That might be understandable, (maybe), due to possibly increased necessary processing time for commercial crab, but, otherwise, a crab opener area, entirely within an area entirely encompassed by a larger crab fishing area closure which is due to elevated domoic acid levels, just simply doesn’t make any sense at all, whatsoever…
Call me a skeptic…
But, maybe the headline should read…
………………….
“RECREATIONAL DUNGENESS CRAB FISHERY TO OPEN IN LAST CLOSED AREA IN HUMBOLDT COUNTY [DURING/REGARDLESS OF COMMERCIAL DUNGENESS CRAB FISHERY CLOSURE] DELAY DUE TO PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS”
……….
BECAUSE SOMETHING AIN’T QUITE ADDING UP…!!!
EITHER THE CRABS ARE OK, OR THEY AREN’T OK, BUT THEY DAMN SURE CAN’T POSSIBLY BE BOTH OK, AND, NOT OK, AT THE SAME TIME, IN THE SAME AREA…!!!
SO, LETS NOT KID OURSELVES…
AND, YET, THAT’S EXACTLY HOW THE CDFW PRESS RELEASE READS, IF YOU ARE PAYING CLOSE ENOUGH ATTENTION…!!!
(Is this an ideal opportunity for some investigative journalism, or what…???)
See above ⬆️
https://kymkemp.com/2025/12/31/recreational-dungeness-crab-fishery-to-open-in-last-closed-area-in-humboldt-county-after-delay-due-to-public-health-risks/#comment-1891698
See here….
https://kymkemp.com/2025/12/31/recreational-dungeness-crab-fishery-to-open-in-last-closed-area-in-humboldt-county-after-delay-due-to-public-health-risks/#comment-1891706