December 6, 2023 3:10 a.m.
Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery opens December 16th from Cape Foulweather just south of Depoe Bay to the California border.
A release from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said pre-season testing shows that crabs remain too low in meat yield to open commercial fishing from Cape Foulweather to the Washington border. The next round of crab meat yield and biotoxin testing will help determine if this area can open December 31st or is delayed further.
Targeted to open December 1st, Oregon’s ocean commercial Dungeness crab season can be delayed or partially opened so consumers get a high-quality product and crabs are not wasted. This year’s season was initially delayed until at least December 16th due to low meat yield in some coastal areas.
ODFW tests crabs out of Oregon’s six major crabbing ports in partnership with the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, Oregon Department of Agriculture and the commercial Dungeness crab industry.