Crab

Preseason testing has shown the crustaceans are too low on meat yield in some areas.

Dungeness crab is the most valuable single-species fishery commodity in Oregon. The 2021-2022 season was one of the best on record, with fisherfolk bringing in $91.5 million worth of the crustaceans. But that's not always the case. This 2022-2023 season opened more than six weeks later than anticipated.

Testing in Oregon has determined that crabs in some areas don’t have enough meat. Those tests are continuing to detect elevated levels of the naturally occurring toxin domoic acid, which can make the crabs unsafe to eat.

Also inside: A deadly plant pathogen at the Oregon Coast and the Cowlitz Indian Tribe wants to pay less to Clark County for its public safety contract.

OSU scientists have developed a way to predict spikes in domoic acid off the West Coast.  The toxin can accumulate in some seafood and be harmful to humans if consumed.