Oregon Delays Opening of Commercial Crab Season Until Year End
NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) -- State shellfish managers say the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season will be further delayed until at least Dec. 31 along the entire Oregon coast as testing shows crab are still too low in meat yield in half of the areas along the coast.
RELATED: Commercial Dungeness Crab Season Delayed Into Mid-December
The World reports the ocean commercial Dungeness crab season in Oregon generally opens Dec. 1, but can be delayed to ensure a high-quality product and to avoid wastage of the resource.
The Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission said crab quality testing in late November and early December showed many areas within the tri-state region still did not meet the criteria for an opening. The delayed opening will allow for crab to fill with more meat.
Testing will continue to determine if the season should open Dec. 31, be further delayed, or be split into separate areas with different opening dates, officials said. In conjunction with the delayed ocean commercial season, commercial harvest of Dungeness crab in Oregon bays is now closed for the remainder of the year.
Commercial Dungeness crabbing is Oregon's most valuable fishery.
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