Oregon Crab Season Opens Next Month

Oregon's ocean crab season opens December First.

The Dungeness crab or Cancer magister, is considered an important commercial species in the family Cancridae. Courtesy: buyseafood.blogspot.com

(NEWPORT, Ore.) - The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife today announced that the commercial ocean Dungeness crab season will open at 12:01 a.m. December 1st, 2009.

Under Oregon Administrative Rules, the commercial pot presoak in Oregon waters will begin no sooner than 8:01 a.m. November 28th.

Crab quality testing conducted in Oregon, Washington, and California between October 18th and November 12th showed meat recovery rates met Tri-State criteria.

Crab were also analyzed for toxins produced by harmful algal blooms and showed no toxins above alert levels. Based on those results, managers from all three states agreed to open the Dungeness crab fishery from Point Arena, California to the Canadian border on December 1st.

Recreational crab fishing in the ocean also opens December 1st.

News release: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife