CDPH Lifts Warning About Consuming Sport-Harvested Dungeness Crab from One Area Along Northern California Coast

December 12, 2025  

SN25-032

What You Need to Know: CDPH has lifted a previous warning not to eat sport-harvested Dungeness crab harvested from one area of the Northern California Coast because domoic acid levels have declined to low or undetectable levels.

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has lifted the shellfish safety notification for consumption of any sport-harvested whole Dungeness Crab caught in state waters located at: 

• Camp Mendocino (40⁰ 10.00' N. Latitude) to Ten Mile State Marine Reserve   (39⁰ 33.30' N. Latitude) 
  

Laboratory analyses show that domoic acid levels in the internal organs and meat of Dungeness crab harvested along one of the coastal areas of northern California have declined to low or undetectable levels. Because of this, CDPH has partially lifted its Whole Dungeness Crab Advisory dated October 24, 2025, where the public was warned to not consume any sport-harvested whole Dungeness crab from this area. Currently, there are no warnings for domoic acid in Dungeness crab viscera from the above area, and there have been no reported illnesses associated with this event. 

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 consumer may experience trouble breathing, confusion, cardiovascular instability, seizures, excessive bronchial secretions, permanent loss of short-term memory, coma, or death. 

Test results are updated as laboratory results become available and can be viewed on the CDPH Domoic Acid webpage. Please visit CDPH’s Domoic Acid FAQ for more information. To receive updated information about shellfish poisoning and quarantines, call CDPH’s toll-free “Shellfish Information Line” at (800) 553-4133. ​​​​