OLYMPIA — Commercial crab fishing continues to be delayed on a portion of Washington’s southern coast.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said Tuesday that tests show crabs from the area are safe to eat. But the agency decided with Oregon and California to delay crabbing there to prevent too many crabbers from overwhelming the small area.
Commercial crabbing is currently closed in California and parts of Oregon after tests showed high levels of domoic acid, a natural toxic produced by some marine algae.
WDFW’s Dan Ayres worries that if the 13-mile stretch is open, it would draw too many crabbers and potentially be overfished.
State and tribal managers plan to open the coast north of Klipsan Beach to commercial crabbing Jan. 4.
Ayres says crab from tribal fisheries currently open along the central and northern Washington coast are safe to eat. Recreational crabbing is open on all coastal waters and in Puget Sound.
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