July 26, 2021
ALLENTOWN, NJ (MONMOUTH)–On July 18, Conservation Police Officers Nicole Carman and Michael Bickerton investigated a group of four out-of-state individuals who were collecting freshwater clams from Doctors Creek in Allentown, New Jersey. This creek is in the immediate vicinity of a sewage treatment plant. The waterway is deemed condemned by NJDEP due to pollution, rendering shellfish dangerous to public health if consumed. Officers apprehended the individuals in possession of approximately 64,000 corbicula clams, which are an invasive species. Thanks to a call from an observant passer-by, these clams were seized before they could find their way into the food supply chain. Please contact the 24-Hour DEP Hotline at 877-WARN-DEP if you observe individuals collecting freshwater clams or mussels.
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