Southern part of Oregon Coast to open for commercial Dungeness crab season

Jan. 27—The commercial Dungeness crab season will open on the southern portion of the Oregon Coast — from Cape Arago to the California border — on Feb. 4.

The southern region was the last remaining section to get an opening date.

Low meat yield down the coast caused delays to the traditional Dec. 1 opening day. But meat fill is now excellent statewide, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement.

Domoic acid levels remain elevated in some sections of the southern coast, the department said, and some parts of the area may open under an evisceration requirement.

At the time of the announcement, there is an evisceration requirement in a small section from Cape Arago to just north of Charleston, around Coos Bay.

Any crab landed commercially from a region with high domoic acid levels must be eviscerated by a licensed Oregon Department of Agriculture seafood processor and cannot be sold whole.

Additional testing is required in order to remove evisceration requirements, the department said.