Calif. — Dungeness and rock crabs caught off the California coast should not be eaten because of dangerous levels of domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin.
Just days before the official start of Dungeness crab fishing season, the California Department of Public Health wrote in a news release that the crabs "pose a significant risk to the public if they are consumed."
Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood.
"Domoic acid accumulation in seafood is a natural occurrence that is related to a 'bloom' of a particular single-celled plant called Pseudo-nitzschia. The conditions that support the growth of this plant are impossible to predict, and it is unknown when the levels found in crab will subside," health officials wrote.
Crab season is being put on hold in California indefinitely.
The naturally occurring acid is impacting an area between Oregon and the southern border of Santa Barbara County. California and southern Oregon crab season shutdown could impact Washington supply in a big way.
Seattle Fish Company owner Jon Daniels says his customers heard headlines about California crab not being safe to eat, and they want to know if crab they buy in Washington is safe.
He says any crab you'll buy in a store or restaurant here is safe, because it was all harvested locally and tested a few weeks ago before it was frozen.
Safe local crab suddenly went up in price from $2 to $4 a pound.
Crab Season in Washington State is delayed for testing, so no crab is coming in during Daniels' biggest season for selling it.
Daniels says the waters of Puget Sound are colder and less prone to that algae and toxin problem than California
KIRO
