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SEAFOOD INDUSTRY Sport crabbers could return to South Coast today Comment By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Dec. 3, 2015 at 5:13 PM Updated Dec 3, 2015 at 6:07 PM By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Dec. 3, 2015 at 5:13 PM Updated Dec 3, 2015 at 6:07 PM » Social News Sport-crabbers could be back on South Coast bays and off beaches as early as Friday as the latest rounds of tests on Dungeness crab show levels of domoic acid well under safety thresholds. Preliminary results on crabs sampled last weekend coastwide show a second straight week of Dungeness from Winchester Bay to Brookings with domoic acid levels beneath the alert level that triggered a full crabbing closure Nov. 13 south of Heceta Head near Yahats. The health advisory against eating crab there would end with two straight weeks of samples beneath the toxin threshold under state standards. "If there's no health advisory, I don't see any reason the recreational crab harvest wouldn't be opened on the entire coast," said Matt Hunter, the shellfish project leader for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in Astoria. Hunter said he expects Friday to receive the final results of Dungeness sampled north of Heceta Head, where crabs have not tested above the health threshold all fall and the area has remained open for crabbing. Hunter said he would hesitate to declare a coastwide open season without all the test results. "The nature of toxins sometimes boggles my mind," Hunter said. The bays typically are open year-round, and the ocean opens to sport crabbers in December after a 45-day closure while the crabs regrow after molting. The results keep alive the possibility of a Dec. 15 start to the commercial Dungeness season, which traditionally begins Dec. 1. With domoic acid issues in the rearview mirror, commercial crabbers in Oregon and Washington along with their state biologists would first have to decide to have a joint opener. Crabbers also would have to agree on an opening price before the fleet drops its pots. The Dungeness crab season is Oregon's most lucrative commercial fishery. Last year, the fleet landed 8.2 million pounds of crab that fetched $33.9 million from processors, down from 14.4 million pounds worth $50.2 million in the 2013-14 season, ODFW records show. Oregon crab lovers, who often tap Dungeness for Christmas and other holiday-time feasts, have grown accustomed to late starts to the commercial season while they wait for meat levels to meet minimum thresholds to guarantee excellent taste and meat content. This year's meat-fill tests have been excellent and would not have delayed the season on their own as they did as recently as 2013, ODFW records show. Domoic acid, a toxin produced by algae, has been found at high levels in razor clams along the Oregon Coast this year. Dungeness crabs collect the acid by eating razor clams. Domoic acid, or amnesic shellfish toxin, can cause minor to severe illness and even death, according to the ODFW. Severe poisoning can result in dizziness, headaches, vomiting and diarrhea, the agency said. More severe cases can result in memory loss and death. The toxins cannot be removed by cooking or freezing the crabs. By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Dec. 3, 2015 at 5:13 PM Updated Dec 3, 2015 at 6:07 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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