Commercial Dungeness crab fishing opens for the remainder of Oregon's coastline, from Cape Arago to the California border, on February 4, ODFW announced Thursday.

From Cape Falcon to the Washington border the season opens February 1.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says meat fill is now 'excellent' statewide, but domoic acid remains elevated in some portions of the southern coast. Some parts of the area may open under an evisceration requirement to ensure safety for consumers.

Harvest of crab from a “biotoxin management zone” (BMZ), where domoic acid levels are high, may occur only with the pairing of an evisceration requirement. Currently, there is a BMZ that includes only a small portion of the open area from Cape Arago to just north of Charleston, around Coos Bay.

ODFW says any crab landed commercially from a BMZ must be eviscerated by a licensed ODA seafood processor; it cannot be sold whole.

“Opening the crab season in any area with an evisceration requirement is not ideal,” says Caren Braby, ODFW’s Marine Resources Program Manager. “However, we need to get the fishery going for the vessel crews who are waiting for paychecks and to avoid the on-coming migration of whales. We are fortunate in Oregon to have a system that allows this fishery to harvest through biotoxin events and provide a safe, delicious product. Biotoxin events are occurring more frequently due to changing ocean conditions, so we are prepared for the future with our Oregon system.”

For more information about marine biotoxin monitoring visit the ODA shellfish closures webpage.