DEC says Dungeness crab in area safe to eat, guts aren't

The levels found in the guts of the crustaceans are not a health concern, the DEC said.

The DEC decided to test the crab after a Haines commercial fisherman died Tuesday. He had been diagnosed with paralytic shellfish poisoning after eating crab at a large gathering.

While crab meat is considered safe from PSP, the guts of crab are not. Crab guts should not be eaten, advises the DEC and the Department of Health and Social Services.

The DEC said it will continue to test crab from Southeast Alaska to verify the results.

PSP can be found in clams, mussels and cockles. Shellfish should not be harvested from non-approved beaches, the DEC says. The Department of Health advises never eating any shellfish harvested from Alaska waters because of the risk.

Commercially grown and harvested shellfish are safe, the DEC and Health Department said.

Toxicology samples from 57-year-old John Michael Saunders were sent to the Centers for Disease Control to confirm the paralytic shellfish poisoning, the Health Department said. Results will be released to his family, said spokesman Greg Wilkinson.