Don't be surprised if crabs will be very rare in California this season.
The California and Game Commission has decided during an emergency public meeting live-streamed through C-Span on Thursday, Nov 5, to delay catching Dungeness crabs indefinitely while closing the rock crab hunting, which is supposed to be allowed the entire year. The crab season was expected to begin on Nov 15. People are also strongly advised not to eat these types of crabs until the problem has already been resolved.
The state's Fish and Wildlife Department (CDFW) pointed to the presence of toxic algae bloom in the waters as the cause. These algae release a neurotoxin called duomic acid, which can be ingested by certain marine creatures including rock and Dungeness crabs. Although this acid doesn't have any negative effect on the animals, it can be extremely dangerous on humans including amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), which is characterized by short-term memory loss.
When ingested in low doses, the toxin can cause serious brain damage while large amounts can lead to death. Some of the common toxic symptoms are seizures, diarrhea, nausea, disorientation, and cardiac arrest.
The algae bloom may last as long as the water temperature in the Pacific Ocean remains warm. Once it starts to cool down, the dangerous acid may also begin to disappear. By then, the commission and CDFW may consider opening the crab season. CFDW has already expressed disappointment over the decision, but they would like to place the health of the public as its topmost priority.
Although the problem is purely environmental, it can have a significant financial impact especially in San Francisco, where many restaurants consider Dungeness crabs as their premium staple. It's become a custom among the locals, and even among tourists, to dine on these crabs during Thanksgiving, which means the demand is expected to be very high within the next few weeks.
Restaurants can obtain fresh crabs from Alaska, but crab season is already coming to a close there. There's a possibility that these dining places will experience huge lost revenues this year.
