The Washington coastal commercial Dungeness crab season will likely be delayed through the end of January, fisheries managers announced Thursday.
“While we anticipate the delay of the Washington fishery to be through the end of the month, a specific opening date will depend on the results of Washington domoic acid tests of crab in the area south of Klipsan (Beach),” said state Fish and Wildlife Coastal Shellfish Manager Dan Ayres. “Actual sampling dates are unknown, as we do our best to work around on-going poor ocean conditions that have hampered sample collection.”
The latest results of domoic acid tests of Dungeness crab collected by Fish and Wildlife and analyzed by the state Department of Health shows that crab tested off Long Beach have viscera (gut) that continue to be above the federal domoic acid action level of 30 parts per million (ppm).
“We are unable to announce the opening of the commercial crab fishery until domoic acid levels drop below the action level,” said Ayres.
The latest results are posted at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/commercial/crab/coastal/letters-notices#general-info.
The monitoring plan requires two samples, seven to 10 days apart where domoic acid is below 30 ppm and trending downwards to proceed with opening the fishery, said Ayres. Fish and Wildlife will continue to sample as ocean conditions allow.
Fish and Wildlife has been working with the Department of Health, Department of Agriculture and Oregon Fish and Wildlife to discuss the requirements and enforceability of an opening under a mandatory evisceration requirement should that action be necessary, said Ayres. “We agree that without some rule changes that must be made by the Washington Legislature, evisceration is not currently an option in Washington,” he said.
Fish and Wildlife is coordinating closely with the Quinault Indian Nation regarding season opening provisions for the area north of Klipsan Beach, said Ayres, and will provide more information and details regarding the season opening in that area as soon as possible.
