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Commercial Crab Fishery - Dungeness crab
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Commercial crab fishing season opening weekly updates

In accordance with the Tri-State protocol (revised August 2024, pdf) pre-season testing in Oregon will begin in early November. Meat recovery and biotoxin results from the test fishery will be used as a basis for deciding the crab season opening date(s). In partnership with the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission and the commercial Dungeness crab industry, ODFW collects and tests crab out of the six major crabbing ports in Oregon. Weekly testing updates, along with information about season opening status will be posted below. Weekly updates will be provided until the decision to open the season is made.

'24-25 Season Opening Information

Archived Season Opening Information

 

Weekly updates

Date

Update

1/7 - Tuesday

In consultation with the crab industry, Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) and California and Washington fishery managers, based on meat recovery and domoic acid results from preseason testing, ODFW is opening a portion of the Oregon ocean commercial Dungeness crab season as follows:

Cape Falcon (45° 46’ 00” N. Lat.) to Oregon/Washington border (46° 15’ 00” N. Lat.)
73 hr presoak begins (setting gear): January 12, 8:00 a.m.
Hold Inspections: January 14, see schedule on back
Start date (pulling gear): January 15, 9:00 a.m.

See industry notice posted above and news release posted here.
1/3 - Friday The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) plans to conduct a fourth round of preseason testing in the Long Beach WA area over the weekend with meat recovery results anticipated on 1/6. Tri-State managers will evaluate the result to help inform the decision to open the area north of Cape Falcon on January 15 or February 1.
12/23 - Monday The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) conducted a third round of preseason testing in the Long Beach WA area, which resulted in 22.1% meat recovery. Based on this result not meeting Tri-State meat recovery criteria and consultations with Washington and California Departments of Fish and Wildlife, there was Tri-State agreement to delay the ocean commercial Dungeness crab season from Cape Falcon northward to Klipsan Beach, WA until at least January 15. This delay will allow completion of one additional optional round of meat recovery testing to help inform the decision to open this area on January 15 or February 1.
12/23 - Monday The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) conducted a third round of preseason testing in the Long Beach WA area, which resulted in 22.1% meat recovery. Based on this result not meeting Tri-State meat recovery criteria and consultations with Washington and California Departments of Fish and Wildlife, there was Tri-State agreement to delay the ocean commercial Dungeness crab season from Cape Falcon northward to Klipsan Beach, WA until at least January 15. This delay will allow completion of one additional optional round of meat recovery testing to help inform the decision to open this area on January 15 or February 1.
12/17 - Tuesday The Long Beach WA round 3 preseason test trip was postponed due to weather until 12/19-20 and a meat recovery result is anticipated on 12/22. Tri-State managers are scheduled to meet and we plan to announce a season opening decision for the area north of Cape Falcon on Monday, 12/23.
12/6 - Friday

In consultation with the crab industry, Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) and California and Washington fishery managers, based on meat recovery and domoic acid results from preseason testing, ODFW is opening the Oregon ocean commercial Dungeness crab season as follows:

Cape Falcon (45° 46' 00" N. Lat.) southward to the Oregon/California border (42° 00' 00" N. Lat.)
73 hr presoak begins (setting gear): December 13, 8:00 a.m.
Hold Inspections: December 15
Start date (pulling gear): December 16, 9:00 a.m.

See industry notice posted above and news release posted here.

11/26 - Tuesday

Crab samples for domoic acid sampling were collected this week from crab harvest areas J, K and L. Round 2 of meat recovery preseason testing is planned for early next week in crab harvest areas A, B, C and K. Additional samples for domoic acid will also be collected from crab harvest areas E, I, J, K and L next week. All crab biotoxin results will be posted on Oregon Department of Agriculture’s website here when they are available.

11/20 - Wednesday

Today there was a Tri-State agreement to delay the ocean commercial Dungeness crab season coastwide in Oregon until at least December 16. This delay will allow completion of additional testing for meat recovery and biotoxins. See industry notice posted above and news release posted here.

11/14 - Thursday We are planning to retest the Coos Bay south area (I and J) in round 1 of preseason testing since the string set in 45 fathoms was not included from area I. A meat recovery result for this round 1 retest is anticipated early next week and will be posted above. Next week we will discuss season opening options with advisors once all results are in and plan to meet with Tri-State managers on Wednesday (11/20). An industry notice will be posted above once any decisions on the opening are made. To receive email/text alerts for all season opening decisions sign up for the Commercial Dungeness crab fishery Saltwater news bulletin here  https://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/index.asp.
11/8 -
Friday

Crab were collected from all 12 harvest areas for meat recovery and domoic acid testing. Meat recovery results for round 1 are posted above. Domoic acid results will be posted on Oregon Department of Agriculture’s website here when they are available.

11/5 - Tuesday

Volunteer boats are lined up coastwide to collect crab for meat recovery and domoic acid from all 12 crab harvest areas starting this week, weather permitting. To ensure testing protocols are followed we are planning to have onboard observers for all gear retrieval trips.

Tri-State area meat recovery results will be posted on this page just above this table when they are available. All crab domoic acid results will be posted on Oregon Department of Agriculture’s website here.

If you are interested in volunteering to participate in subsequent rounds of testing if they are needed, please call or email Kelly Corbett (541-270-5083 or Kelly.C.Corbett@odfw.oregon.gov).

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