Seems to me with the VHS restrictions you may have a hard time. Even if you didn't I'd be leary of adding anything to your pond with the VHS showing up in inland waterways of your state. Do you have crayfish in the pond now?

Additionally I don't know about New York but in my state of Indiana freshwater clams and mussels are protected and it is illegal to even have the empty shells.

If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.