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Cockle (Cerastoderma edule)

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Common name - Cockle
Scientific name - Cerastoderma edule
Rating
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Caught at sea Hand-gathering
Capture Area North East Atlantic  FAO 27
Stock Area All Areas
Stock Detail I-IX
Summary
Choose cockles harvested by sustainable methods only such as licensed hand gathering. Avoid eating them during breeding season from March to August. Burry Inlet cockles are MSC certified and provide the most sustainable option in the UK.
Biology
The common cockle is a bivalve mollusc found buried in mud and sand in estuaries and on beaches. The shell size is up to 5cm long, although average sizes tend to be around 3-4cm. Maturity occurs at a shell length of around 2cm. An organ called a siphon allows the animal to feed and breathe whilst buried in the sand. Cockles spawn from March to August, although exact times will vary from region to region.
Stock Information
Species widely distributed on coastlines throughout North Atlantic region. Cockle stocks are potentially vulnerable to local over-exploitation and depletion. Cockles breed from around Easter to end of summer. Local byelaws may prohibit landing of cockles below certain size and impose restrictions on amount collected and the method by which they are collected, e.g. in Kent and Essex Sea Fisheries District, landing cockles below 16 mm is prohibited; in South Wales MLS is 19mm and North Western and North Wales MLS is 20mm. In Cumbria the local SFC undertakes annual surveys and stocks assessments.
Capture Information
Hand-gathering is a traditional method of harvesting molluscs involving the use of hand tools such as tongs and rakes. In some areas it may be the only method permitted, e.g. Burry Inlet, Wales and Cornwall.
Alternatives
(Based on method of production, fish type, and consumer rating: only fish rated 3 and below are included.)
Read what the consumer pages of the Good Fish Guide say about this species.