Story highlights

California delays recreational crabbing season due to dangerous levels of domoic acid

Domoic acid is naturally occurring toxin that can't be cleaned or cooked away

Domoic acid poisoning causes dizziness, vomiting, and in severe cases, death

CNN  — 

Put down the California crab legs – they could be poisonous.

The California Fish and Game Commission voted Thursday to postpone recreational crabbing season, set to start Saturday, “due to the detection of dangerous levels of domoic acid” in waters between southern Oregon and the southern Santa Barbara County line.

“Due to the detection of dangerous levels of domoic acid,” Dungeness and rock crabs caught in waters between the Oregon borders and the southern Santa Barbara County line pose a “significant risk to the public if consumed,” the California Department of Public Health said in a release.

Domoic acid is a naturally occurring toxin produced from “some species of the marine diatom Pseudo-nitzschia,” the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said.

A massive bloom of Pseudo-nitzschia, brought by warmer water temperatures associated with the El Niño event, is causing high levels of the acid.

Marine animals, such as crabs, that filter their food through seawater may accumulate the toxins. While the toxins, which are colorless and odorless, don’t seem to harm the animals accumulating them, people who eat the animals may become poisoned.

Neither cleaning, nor cooking these foods will rid them of the harmful acid.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Jordan Traverso said crab being sold in stores now is likely safe for consumption since crab season in the area of concern hadn’t opened yet.

Consumers could verify the safety of crab already purchased by contacting stores and confirming where it came from.

Dwight Eager of Bell Buoy Crab Co. in Chinook, Washington, said the crab his company ships was harvested in an area where the domoic acid levels are “completely fine.”

“I had fancy Dungeness crab legs for dinner last night, and I’m still alive to talk about it,” Eager said.

In severe cases, symptoms could include difficulty breathing, seizures, coma and death.

Traverso said the last thing her department wants to do is delay or close the season, but she said, “Our main priority is to keep people from getting sick.”

Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning typically begin within 30 minutes to 24 hours of eating toxic seafood, the health department said. They include vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, headache, dizziness and confusion.

In severe cases, symptoms could include difficulty breathing, seizures, coma and death.

Some survivors of severe cases of domoic acid poisoning have been known to suffer permanent loss of short-term memory, officials said.