THAMES COCKLES

Cockles are burrowing bivalve shellfish, found on all British and European coasts. They are common in intertidal areas and shallow waters. Cockles live within a few centimetres of the surface. Their lifespan is typically 2-4 years and they spawn at around 18 months.

The Thames Estuary cockle fishery was first certified in 2019 making it the sixth MSC certified cockle fishery in the North Atlantic. The fishery is managed by the Leigh Port Partnership. 

Fourteen licensed cockle vessels share the total allowable catch between them, fishing off the coast of Essex between July and September and at one site off the coast of Kent during October only. The fishery operates out of three ports in England: Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, and Whitstable and Queenborough, Kent.

Limiting the catch to specific months of the year and only harvesting cockles of a minimum size up to a scientifically set total allowable catch makes sure the shellfish have time to reach maturity and reproduce, a key part of fishing sustainably. It also factors in the needs of estuary wildlife such as wading birds that overwinter on the tidal banks where cockles are found. 

Up until the late 1960s, cockles were collected from the estuary by hand-raking them out of the sand at low-tide. The cockles are now harvested using a mechanised dredge. In 2017, the fishery caught 3,800 tonnes of cockles with most being exported to markets across the European Union.