Recreational crab season opens along the Sonoma Coast as state warns of biotoxin risk

"In a health advisory issued Oct. 24, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Department of Public Health said unhealthy levels of the naturally occurring toxin have been found in the viscera, or the internal organs of the crab. Officials warned that cooking the crab does not destroy the toxin, advising fishers to not ingest any part of the viscera."

"Domoic acid poisoning in humans can cause nausea, dizziness and in severe cases, even memory loss or death, public health officials cautioned. The health advisory is in effect for fishers from the Sonoma-Mendocino county line stretching down to Point Reyes. Despite the warnings, recreational crabbers can still hit the seas, unlike Bodega Bay's Dick Ogg and other commercial fisherman who have been sidelined following seven straight years of season delays to protect endangered marine life from entanglements."

"For Ogg, who predicts the commercial season will once again not open until January, and other fishermen across the state, these delays take a major toll on their profit margins. The impact is significant, Ogg said Saturday. What we have lost is our Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's crab market. Everything has been pushed ahead to when people are less interested in getting the resource. It's a lot more difficult and the financial impact to everyone is pretty significant."

California Department of Fish and Wildlife and California Department of Public Health issued a health advisory on Oct. 24 after detecting unhealthy levels of domoic acid in Dungeness crab viscera along the Sonoma Coast. Cooking does not destroy the toxin and fishers are advised not to ingest any part of the internal organs. Domoic acid poisoning can cause nausea, dizziness and in severe cases memory loss or death. The advisory covers the coastline from the Sonoma-Mendocino county line to Point Reyes. Recreational crabbers may continue to harvest and eat crab meat. Commercial fishermen have faced repeated season delays to protect endangered marine life, causing lost holiday markets and major financial impacts. Ongoing monitoring guides commercial openings.

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