Trio Caught Illegally Clamming In Great South Bay: DEC

BABYLON, NY - Three men were caught illegally clamming in the Great South Bay in Babylon over the weekend, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.

On Saturday, a DEC officer ECO saw the trio wading in the waters of the bay, north of the Ocean Parkway which is typically used by crabbers looking for blue claw crabs, according to the DEC.

However, it seemed strange to the officer that the three men were crabbing since it is early in the season, according to the DEC.

After watching them for a short time, it became clear that the men were clamming, not crabbing, and the area is currently closed to taking any clams, according to the DEC.

After spotting the men pull up some clams, the officer approached them.

The trio claimed to only have one bucket of clams, but a quick check led to a cooler with 150 hard clams, of which 25 were undersized, the DEC said.

Each of the three men were charged with placing a rake in uncertified waters, taking hard clams from uncertified waters, and possessing undersized hard clams in excess of 10 percent of their take, according to the DEC.

All of the clams were seized and the summonses are returnable in First District Court in Suffolk County on August 1.

Image via DEC