California Expands Dungeness Crab Recreational Delay: Toxin Risk Closes More Northern Waters
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced on November 5 that the recreational Dungeness crab fishery will be delayed in waters off Humboldt County, California, from the southern boundary of the Reading Rock State Marine Protected Areas (41° 17.6' N. latitude) to Cape Mendocino (40° 10' N. latitude), after state health agencies determined that Dungeness crab from that area pose a human health risk due to elevated levels of domoic acid and recommended a delay. Following the recommendation, CDFW Director Meghan Hertel delayed the recreational fishery in the area.
Combined with the delay announced on October 30, the full area where the recreational fishery is now delayed extends from the southern boundary of the Reading Rock State Marine Protected Areas (41° 17.6' N. latitude) to the southern boundary of the Ten Mile State Marine Reserve (39° 33.3' N. latitude). Recreational take and/or possession of Dungeness crab is prohibited in these closed waters.
The expansion follows CDFW's October 30 action. Under that release, the recreational Dungeness crab season opens on November 7 in most areas of California, but the use of recreational crab traps is restricted from the California/Oregon border to Point Conception until at least January 1, 2027, because of the number of confirmed humpback whale entanglements this year and the high abundance of humpback whales across the fishing grounds; the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in the same waters is also delayed until at least January 1, 2027. The trap restriction does not affect hoop nets and crab snares, but hoop nets must be serviced every two hours and cannot be left unattended for longer. CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment in mid-December, to inform a possible commercial opening and lifting of the recreational trap restrictions.
The new closure will remain in effect until the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, in consultation with the State Public Health Officer at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), determines that domoic acid no longer poses a significant public health risk.
Domoic acid is a potent neurotoxin produced by Pseudo-nitzschia, a naturally occurring single-celled marine alga, under certain ocean conditions. It can accumulate in shellfish, other invertebrates and sometimes fish without the organisms becoming ill. At low levels, exposure can cause nausea, diarrhea and dizziness; at higher levels, it can cause persistent short-term memory loss, seizures and can in some cases be fatal.
For the latest fishery closure and health advisory information, call CDFW's Domoic Acid Fishery Closure Information Line at (831) 649-2883. For the latest consumption warnings, call the California Department of Public Health's Biotoxin Information Line at (510) 412-4643 or toll-free at (800) 553-4133. (Source: California Department of Fish and Wildlife)
Source: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：加利福尼亚州鱼类和野生动物部（CDFW）发布的珍宝蟹休闲捕捞限制图，2026年11月7日起生效，红色标记为关闭海域。来源：CDFW。 / Map: CDFW recreational Dungeness crab fishing restrictions effective November 7, 2026; areas marked in red are closed. Source: California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
