Crab Season

[theswimmer]

Did anyone else hear that the restrictions on crabbing might be lifted today?

[El Pescador]

Correctamundo  Buddy Boy!!!

Season opened yesterday!

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Fishing-Map/San-Francisco#dungeness  

Let's munch a bunch!!!

Wayne

[David Hall]

Actually season opened today for sport, next Friday for Commercial (probably)
But right now the Monterey Bay has 9-11'  swells with 1-3' wind waves and they are not going away until Monday.  Similar off the whole central CA coast.
I will be out Tuesday to drop em.

[swill88]

My neighbor told me it's open but there's a warning on cooking and throwing out the water and not eating an internals (don't eat the butter).

Haven't seen it myself. Lots of pollution out there it seems,

from humboldt bay keeper .org
http://www.humboldtbaykeeper.org/docs/HBK_Crab_Card.pdf

[David Hall]

Not pollution but Domoic acid, caused by our annual algae blooms this year it lasted ten times longer than usual.
Ever hear the phrase, "Don't eat shellfish under a red tide".  Same thing just magnified immensely all along the eastern pacific shore.  Can cause a range of symptoms in humans from nausea, cramps,headaches,seizures or death.
Nothing to mess around with.
Reported to have killed numerous sea lions this year.

[swill88]

re: polution

from the Humboldt Baykeeper website...

The following technique for cleaning and cooking
Dungeness crab is suggested because of increased
levels of pollution in our bays and oceans. Shellfish
can be contaminated with harmful chemicals and
heavy metals, including dioxin, PCBs, and mercury.

think there's more to consider than domoic acid

[Reel 224]

Hear on the east coast we have blue claws and Ruth and I have eaten thousands of them over or life time Ill have to check if we glow in the dark tonight Like Dungeness crab they are scavengers, the bottom feeders.

Joe

[David Hall]

My neighbor told me it's open but there's a warning on cooking and throwing out the water and not eating an internals (don't eat the butter).

Haven't seen it myself. Lots of pollution out there it seems,

from humboldt bay keeper .org
http://www.humboldtbaykeeper.org/docs/HBK_Crab_Card.pdf

Now why you have to show me that?  I've always cooked them whole and live in seawater .  I used to save the water and cook up several batches too, as I like to add Beer and crab boil spices to the pot and it gets expensive to change the water everytime you drop in a new batch of crab. Now I find out Im concentrating all that pollution!  Okay, well thank you.  I will stop doing that but I think I will still boil them live and whole!  Maybe I will read some more about it before I decide. I mean I dont have any crab to cook today anyway.   

[Reel 224]

My neighbor told me it's open but there's a warning on cooking and throwing out the water and not eating an internals (don't eat the butter).

Haven't seen it myself. Lots of pollution out there it seems,

from humboldt bay keeper .org
http://www.humboldtbaykeeper.org/docs/HBK_Crab_Card.pdf

Now why you have to show me that?  I've always cooked them whole and live in seawater .  I used to save the water and cook up several batches too, as I like to add Beer and crab boil spices to the pot and it gets expensive to change the water everytime you drop in a new batch of crab. Now I find out Im concentrating all that pollution!  Okay, well thank you.  I will stop doing that but I think I will still boil them live and whole!  Maybe I will read some more about it before I decide. I mean I dont have any crab to cook today anyway.   

That's a bummer Dave isn't it!!

Joe

[David Hall]

I was happier not knowing!

[Reel 224]

Me too!

Joe

[swill88]

I didn't want to know it either but... it is what it is.

I always ate the crab 'butter'; no more.

In the last 30 years I have gotten more skin, ear, and eye infections from surfing in California.

The worst thing you can do is swim in the ocean after a rain storm.

Sad but true,

sorry to bear bad news,

steve

[Reel 224]

I didn't want to know it either but... it is what it is.

I always ate the crab 'butter'; no more.

In the last 30 years I have gotten more skin, ear, and eye infections from surfing in California.

The worst thing you can do is swim in the ocean after a rain storm.

Sad but true,

sorry to bear bad news,

steve

It's good news Steve. We should berry our heads in the sand on this topic.....no pun intended!

Joe

[TomT]

I grew up in  the Fresno area and when we ate crab it was usually in a restaurant or s "special" friend's house.   I moved up to the north coast about 25 yrs ago and started fishing & crabbing here.  I was instructed by locals to "NEVER" eat or cook crab that wasn't alive when you dropped it into boiling water.  I have also cooked and eaten crab in Oregon, Washington, & Alaska and was always advised of the same--If the crab isn't alive right before cooking to throw it away because it could be contaminated.  In fact, that reasoning is encouraged by "Dangerous Catch" as they sometimes  throw away tons of crab that have died before they can be cooked?   If you cut them in two they will "dead" before cooking.  Again, I am no expert in these matters, BUT can anyone explain why if you have a supposedly healthy crab and boil it for 20 minutes in 210* water, what organism is going to live to attack you??   
TomT

[swill88]

can anyone explain why if you have a supposedly healthy crab and boil it for 20 minutes in 210* water, what organism is going to live to attack you?? 

well... domoic acid can't be cooked away... that's why the crab season opening has been delayed for so long...

not all pollution is organic that can be killed by heat.... mercury? (i'm not a chemist!)

steve