SACRAMENTO (KRON) — The California Department of Public Health has lifted a health advisory for rock crabs caught near the coast of Santa Barbara County in the area of Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and the San Miguel islands, also known as the Channel Islands, according to spokesman Orville Thomas.
The ban remains in effect between Santa Rosa Island and Santa Cruz Island, Thomas said. The advisory also remains in effect north of the Sonoma-Mendocino County line.
Officials said the advisory was lifted Monday because tests show the levels of domoic acid has declined to low or undetectable levels in crabs caught near the islands.
Still, as a precaution, officials are warning people not to eat the viscera of crabs, which include internal organs, also known as “butter” or “guts.” Those parts are known to have higher levels of domoic acid than the crab body meat, officials said.
“When whole crabs are cooked in liquid, domoic acid may leach from the viscera into the cooking liquid. Water or broth used to cook whole crabs should be discarded and not used to prepare dishes such as sauces, broths, soups or stews (for example, cioppino or gumbo), stocks, roux, dressings or dips,” Thomas said in a press release.
The worry was that since it is so late in the season, it might mean crabs might start molting. But tests show that hasn’t happened, so the meat isn’t mushy.
And that means local Dungeness crab will be ready to kick the imported crab off our plates.
Sources told KRON that wholesalers want $2.90 a pound, with $3 being considered about average.
The price will be officially decided Tuesday morning.
The best ways to reduce risk of domoic acid are:
1) Remove the crab viscera and rinse out the body cavity prior to cooking, or
2) Boil or steam whole crabs, instead of frying or broiling, and discard cooking liquids.
Here is some more information from the Department of Public Health:
Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases, symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache and dizziness. These symptoms disappear within several days. In severe cases, the victim may experience trouble breathing, confusion, disorientation, cardiovascular instability, seizures, excessive bronchial secretions, permanent loss of short-term memory (a condition known as Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning), coma or death. There have been no reported illnesses associated with this year’s domoic acid event.
Domoic acid accumulation in seafood is a natural occurrence that is related to a “bloom” of a particular single-celled plant. The conditions that support the growth of this plant are impossible to predict. While the bloom that occurred earlier this year has dissipated, it takes a period of time for the organisms feeding on the phytoplankton to eliminate the domoic acid from their bodies.
CDPH will continue to coordinate its efforts with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the fishing community to collect crab samples from the central and northern California coast until the domoic acid levels have dissipated.
To receive updated information about shellfish poisoning and quarantines, call CDPH’s toll-free Shellfish Information Line at (800) 553-4133. For additional information, visit CDPH’s Natural Marine Toxins: PSP and Domoic Acid Web page and CDPH’s Domoic Acid health information Web page.