CDPH Warns Consumers Not to Eat Sport-Harvested Whole Dungeness Crab from the Northern California Coast
October 24, 2025
SN25-027
What You Need to Know: CDPH warns consumers not to consume Dungeness Crab (meat and viscera) caught from coastal areas of northern California due to dangerous levels of domoic acid, a naturally occurring biotoxin. Cooking the crab does not decrease or destroy the toxin.
SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning the public to not consume any parts of Dungeness crab (meat or viscera) caught from the coastal areas of northern California.
The recreational Dungeness crab season for California anglers begins on Saturday, November 1, 2025. This warning is in effect for whole Dungeness crab harvested from the following state waters:
- CA/OR border (42° 0.00' N. Latitude) to Reading Rock State Marine Reserve (41° 17.6' N. Latitude)
- Reading Rock State Marina Reserve (41° 17.6' N. Latitude) to Camp Mendocino (40⁰ 10.00' N. Latitude)
- Camp Mendocino (40⁰ 10.00' N. Latitude) to Ten Mile State Marine Reserve (39⁰ 33.30' N. Latitude)
- Ten Mile State Marine Reserve (39⁰ 33.30' N. Latitude) to Sonoma/Mendocino County Line (38° 46.125' N. Latitude)
Dangerous levels of domoic acid, which can cause Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP), have been detected in the meat and viscera (internal organs) of Dungeness crab caught from coastal areas of northern California. Domoic acid is a naturally occurring biotoxin. Cooking the crab does not decrease or destroy the toxin.
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 victim may experience trouble breathing, confusion, disorientation, cardiovascular instability, seizures, excessive bronchial secretions, permanent loss of short-term memory, coma, or death.
CDPH continues to coordinate its efforts with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the fishing community to collect and test crab samples from the impacted areas until domoic acid levels have dissipated. Please contact CDFW for information about the recreational Dungeness crab season.
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.