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Commercial crabbing to commence in mid-January By Mark Freeman Updated: Dec 23, 2022 12:17 PM A A State shellfish managers have delayed the start of the commercial Dungeness crabbing season along the entire Oregon coast until at least Jan. 15, because of lack of meat on the crustaceans. [Kevin Clark/The Register-Guard via AP, File] After missing out on fresh Oregon Dungeness crab for Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, shellfish lovers will have to set their eyes on Super Bowl weekend to buy the fresh crustaceans. State shellfish managers are now eyeing Jan. 15 for the start of Oregon’s most lucrative ocean fishery to give crab a chance to bulk up to industry harvest standards. The most recent tests saw meat levels a hair under what was needed to open Jan. 1 on Oregon’s south and central coasts, according to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife data. The next set of tests from Dungeness collected in early January will be key to determining whether the commercial fleet could start hauling up fresh Dungeness Jan. 15. To guarantee consumer satisfaction, the industry waits to collect ocean crab until tests show Dungeness have bulked up enough internally that a 2-pound crab will yield close to a half-pound of meat. “It’s getting close,” said Troy Buell, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s state fishery management program leader for the agency’s Marine Resources Program in Newport. “Hopefully we can get there by Jan. 15.” Another wild card in the equation remains elevated levels of domoic acid in the crab viscera, or guts, of some of the sampled crab — particularly off Coos Bay, data shows. The season could open with those levels intact, but typically commercial processors would be forced to remove the viscera before sale. Domoic acid is a naturally occurring toxin produced by microscopic algae. The algae concentrates in shellfish, and the acid can trigger amnesic shellfish poisoning in people. Symptoms include vomiting, nausea and abdominal cramps within 24 hours of ingestion. State regulators and the commercial fleet want to get the season started as early as possible to get Dungeness to market before the gray whale migration hits the region, triggering possible entanglements of whales in commercial gear. The commercial Dungeness fishery is by far the most lucrative among Oregon fisheries, generating a record $91.5 million worth of landings last season. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected].