California officials have declared a state of emergency over the spread of bird flu, which is tearing through dairy cows in that state and causing sporadic illnesses in people in the U.S.

The declaration of a state of emergency in California over avian influenza comes within days of the first severe human case of bird flu in the U.S.

Crab season in the stretch of coast between Mendocino-Sonoma counties and the California-Oregon border will be further delayed because of the inability to conduct industry-sponsored meat quality testing. The season will automatically open on Jan. 15 at 12:01 a.m. under a 25 percent trap reduction.

State officials on Friday announced the commercial Dungeness crab fishery for most of the California coast will finally open south of the Sonoma/Mendocino county line beginning Jan. 5.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Friday that it will open the commercial Dungeness crab fishery from the Sonoma/Mendocino County line to the U.S./Mexico border starting on Jan.