NEWARK — Blue claw crabs live on the bottom of tidal waters all around New Jersey, including the Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay, areas that are highly polluted with toxic material from the era of producing Agent Orange.

But despite a ban, some people continue crabbing in those highly polluted waters where the crabs absorb dioxin and other chemicals in high levels, the state Department of Environmental Protection reported.

“Crabs in these waters are abundant and appear healthy, but they are not safe to eat,” said Bob Martin, DEP commissioner.

“These blue claw crabs contain toxins that cannot be removed by cooking,” said Michelle McBean of Future City Inc., a local organization helping the state with outreach. “It’s important that the public observe the ban.”

Signs are being placed in areas frequented by the public, particularly where there has been evidence of crabbing, the DEP said. The signs and accompanying literature are available in English and Spanish, as well as Polish, Portuguese, Cantonese, Korean and Tagalog, to ensure the message goes to as diverse a population as possible.

The DEP and the federal Environmental Protection Agency unveiled one of the largest Superfund cleanups ever proposed in April. The plan is a bank-to-bank dredging of the lower eight miles of the contaminated river to remove the massive deposits of toxic dioxin from the Agent Orange producing days of the Diamond Alkali Co. plant on the Newark stretch of the Passaic River.

Tidal waters also affected by the crab ban and fish advisories include the Arthur Kill, the Kill Van Kull, the Elizabeth River, the Hackensack River, and the Rahway River, officials added.

People found catching and eating crabs are subject to fines ranging from $100 to $3,000 for a first offense, the DEP said.

The reminder program involving the signs and literature has been a years-long collaborative program between the DEP, the state Department of Health and Senior Services, and affected municipalities.