Gold clams are a species of freshwater clam native to eastern Asia which have become an unwanted invasive species around the world discovered in the Waikato River in May 2023 and given the legal status of an Unwanted Organism under the Biosecurity Act.

Gold clam larvae are exceptionally small, at just 200 microns or 0.2 mm, and are basically invisible, this means they can spread easily on boats or other recreational gear including togs, wetsuits and clothing worn swimming e.g. shorts, t-shirts. 

Check, Clean, Dry practices have been updated for gold clam and decontamination is particularly important to prevent the spread. Dipping drums (containing a solution of 10% bleach) will be available on site and it's strongly recommended that all swimmers use these drums to dip their togs after swimming.

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Download the Check Clean Dry update for North Island swimmers fact sheet