Clammers Busted on Smithtown Bay

When cops bust commercial fishermen for taking clams from polluted waters should we be worried that dangerous shellfish might be getting to the market or relieved that the law is working? Maybe both, I guess. Four commercial fishermen were arrested recently for taking 14 bags of clams from Smithtown Bay. Newsday says,

That part of Smithtown Bay, near the mouth of the Nissequogue River, is closed to shellfish harvesting to prevent people from ingesting accumulated bacteria and viruses associated with sewage.

Nice, huh? The guys arrested were (again, from Newsday):

[Richard] Voorhees, 47, of East Northport, Laurence Kokell, 53, of Northport, Joshua Kokell, 33, of East Northport, and William Kokell, 38, of Asharoken, were all charged with taking shellfish from uncertified waters. Voorhees was also charged with failure to possess a valid shell digger permit. The charges are all misdemeanors punishable by fines of up to $5,000 and or a year in jail. If convicted, the clammers could get their licenses revoked, DEC officials said.