January 21, 2023 9:50 a.m.

On Friday, the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife moved the recreational crabbing biotoxin closure boundary for the ocean, bays and estuaries to between four miles north of Charleston and one-half mile north of Gold Beach.

An ODFW release said Coos Bay and the Coquille River are closed to recreational crabbing while the Rogue River is open.

Test results received Friday show domoic acid levels in crab sampled from the closed area are above the human safety threshold.

Recreational bay clam and mussel harvesting remain open along the entire Oregon coast. Razor clamming is still closed coastwide.

The release said ODA tests for shellfish toxins twice per month, as tides and weather permit. Sampling schedules sometimes are altered due to vessel availability, weather, and other factors.

Reopening an area closed for biotoxins requires two consecutive tests with results below the closure limit.

It is recommended that recreational crab harvesters always eviscerate crab before cooking. The includes removing and discarding the viscera, internal organs and gills.

For more information, call ODA’s biotoxin safety hotline at 800-448-2474, or visit the ODA shellfish toxin closures webpage: https://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/FoodSafety/Shellfish/Pages/ShellfishClosures.aspx?utm_