It’s that time of year: Oregon Dungeness crab fishermen are stacking their pots near harbors and fixing their boats, preparing for a season that usually starts in December.
But this year, the catchphrase is “domoic acid,” a naturally occurring neurotoxin that has plagued animals in several areas of the West Coast, thanks to an unusually large algae bloom in the ocean.
Domoic acid can concentrate in some fish and shellfish, causing sickness in the animals that eat them.
So what about the consumers?
Dungeness crab currently sold in supermarkets and restaurants is safe, industry officials say. All that delicious Dungeness that Oregonians love is OK because it is from stock that was previously frozen or sourced from areas that have tested clean for domoic acid.
“Oregon’s Dungeness crab industry strives to bring consumers the highest-quality product possible. We want everyone to enjoy the Dungeness crab eating experience and you can be assured that product from Oregon that reaches the shelves has gone through rigorous quality control,” said Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission Executive Director Hugh Link.
The start of Oregon’s commercial crab season may be delayed due to a number of factors. For example, in addition to testing for domoic acid, Oregon officials and the industry test crab for quality to ensure the crab are full of meat. The Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, fishermen, processors, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Department of Agriculture want to ensure the consumer gets only the best crab on the market.
