Toxin again an issue as Dungeness crab season nears
Dungeness crab season is approaching in the Bay Area, along with all the rituals that come with it — the crab feeds and holiday dinners piled with crab legs, sourdough bread and crocks of melted butter.
Unfortunately, there’s another, more recent local tradition that is also back: uncertainty about whether algal blooms will delay the season.
Domoic acid is the naturally occurring toxin caused by algal blooms that delayed the past two Dungeness crab seasons. According to test results from the California Department of Public Health, elevated levels of the toxin have shown up in samples of Dungeness crab collected in recent weeks at several North Coast ports.
However, the agency said it’s too soon to say whether domoic acid will delay the commercial Dungeness fishery, due to open Nov. 15.
Read more: http://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Dungeness-crab-season-could-be-delayed-again-by-12318483.php
