Citing concerns over unsafe levels of domoic acid in Dungeness crab, the California Fish and Game Commission voted 3-0 today to delay the beginning of crab season indefinitely.
The ruling applies Dungeness crab and rock crab in all waters north of the Ventura/Santa Barbara county line, including bays and estuaries.
Recreational crab season was set to open Nov. 7, and commercial crab season is scheduled to open Nov. 15.
The commission also directed the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to update the status of the closure by 1pm every Wednesday.
Domoic acid, a neurotoxin, accumulates in shellfish, among other creatures, and if consumed at high levels, can be fatal. More mild symptoms include nausea and dizziness.
In a statement from CDFW, officials call the current levels of domoic acid in crabs a "significant" health risk for humans.
The high levels of domoic acid are being caused by a "large and persistent" algal bloom of Northern California and that "warmer ocean water temperatures due to the El Niño event California is experiencing are likely the cause of the size and persistence of this bloom."
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