Ecomare

After being cleaned, the cockles are boiled and then frozen or canned. Cockles are not consumed much in the Netherlands, but are mostly exported to Spain and Portugal for tapas and paella.

The cockle stock varies tremendously from year to year. The cause of the large fluctuations in the past years is not fully understood. In any case, the severity and mildness of the winters appear to influence the cockle stock. Many cockles die during severe winters, while all cockles seem to survive mild winters, including the weak ones. However, their enemies also survive mild winters.

Since 1993, the cockle fishermen fished based upon agreements in the Management Plan for Coastal Fisheries. There was no fishing during years with poor cockle production. A fixed amount of cockles was reserved for birds and areas where mussel banks and eelgrass beds could grow were closed. In 2000, studies took place to evaluate the agreements. The result of this study, EVA2, would be determinant for the future of the cockle fisheries. The report appeared in 2004. One conclusion was that cockle fisheries caused tremendous damage to the Wadden Sea. Perhaps it could be possible to fish for cockles in a durable manner on a limited scale.

Other results from the EVA2 study stated that there was less food for shellfish in the Wadden Sea than previously and that too few shellfish remained for eiders and oystercatchers.

The Advisory Wadden Sea Policy (commission Meijer) was set up to advice the government about the shellfish fisheries and gas exploitation in relation to nature. The commission proposed to reform the cockle fisheries into a durable fishery within the following seven years and allow gas exploitation.

Per January 1 2005, mechanical cockle fisheries in the Wadden Sea has been banned, particulary based upon a ruling from the European Court. The fishermen received financial compensation, a total of 85 million euros. Between 2004 and 2006, cockle fisheries in the Oosterschelde was temporary stopped. Manual cockle fisheries is allowed on a limited scale in the wadden region.

Since 2005, the mechanical cockle fisheries in the Wadden Sea has been banned. Cockles are now only fished manually in the Wadden Sea. Between 2004 and 2006, the cockle fisheries in the Oosterschelde also came to a halt, but only on a temporary basis. Manual cockle fisheries is still allowed on a limited basis in the wadden region.
There was a long and sometimes fierce discussion about the scientific study which precluded this decision. You will find a summary of EVA2 further up. When the government decides to abolish a certain form of fisheries, reorganizations and disposal of ships prevent the fishermen from continuing this kind of work elsewhere. This did not occur in the case of the mechanical cockle fisheries. However, the fishermen did receive financial compensation. In fact, they received 85 million euros in total.
The cockle fisheries is a risky industry. There is an abundance of cockle in good years while bad years can mean catching practically nothing. For example, after the severe winters of 95-96 and 96-97, there were so few cockles that it was very difficult to keep the fleet in business. The two years following were extremely good cockle years.

The Dutch have been fishing cockles by hand since the Middle Ages, just like the manual cockle fishermen are now doing. Around 1950, a technique was developed to harvest cockles 'mechanically' from ships. The fishermen use the cockle trawl, a cage on a carriage with a knife hanging in between. The sand between the cockles was washed away using a hose placed in front of the knife, and then the cockles are sucked on board with a kind of vacuum cleaner. All cockle fishermen needed a special license due to the Nature Protection Act.

Mechanical cockle fisheries grew rapidly since the beginning of the 1970s. Even though the number of licenses was frozen in 1974 at 37, the increase in capacity and improved fishing techniques resulted in increasing yields. Altogether, 400 people were employed in the sector, when it was allowed in the Wadden Sea.

After being cleaned, the cockles are boiled and then frozen or canned. Cockles are not consumed much in the Netherlands, but are mostly exported to Spain and Portugal for tapas and paella.

The cockle stock varies tremendously from year to year. The cause of the large fluctuations in the past years is not fully understood. In any case, the severity and mildness of the winters appear to influence the cockle stock. Many cockles die during severe winters, while all cockles seem to survive mild winters, including the weak ones. However, their enemies also survive mild winters.

In 2000, tidal flat specialist Theunis Piersma, two hundred other biologists, eight hundred sympathizers and twenty nature organizations had requested that the undersecretary (Faber) not grant any licenses to the cockle fishermen due to the enormous amount of damage that the fisheries brought to the environment. Lengthly studies of the benthic fauna around the island of Griend showed that recovery could take up to eight years after a fishing vessel had fished the area. The enormous number of deaths among the eiders was another effect. The lack of food in 2000 and 2001 resulted in around 20,000 deaths among the eiders each year (20% of the population), all of which was to the (mechanical) cockle fisheries.
Years of fierce controversy followed between the cockle fishermen and their representatives on the one side and the nature conservationists on the other side. The lobby group 'Wilde Kokkels' (wild cockles) placed dead eiders near the UN nature conference in the Hague. Fishermen hit lobbyists in front of the cameras during the fishery days in Lauwersoog. The subject cockle fisheries was constantly mentioned in the newspapers and other media. Nevertheless, the fishermen received their licenses every year from the Ministry, to which the nature organizations would object, often times without results.

Since 1993, the cockle fishermen fished based upon agreements in the Management Plan for Coastal Fisheries. There was no fishing during years with poor cockle production. A fixed amount of cockles was reserved for birds and areas where mussel banks and eelgrass beds could grow were closed. In 2000, studies took place to evaluate the agreements. The result of this study, EVA2, would be determinant for the future of the cockle fisheries. The report appeared in 2004. One conclusion was that cockle fisheries caused tremendous damage to the Wadden Sea. Perhaps it could be possible to fish for cockles in a durable manner on a limited scale.

Other results from the EVA2 study stated that there was less food for shellfish in the Wadden Sea than previously and that too few shellfish remained for eiders and oystercatchers.

The Advisory Wadden Sea Policy (commission Meijer) was set up to advice the government about the shellfish fisheries and gas exploitation in relation to nature. The commission proposed to reform the cockle fisheries into a durable fishery within the following seven years and allow gas exploitation.

Per January 1 2005, mechanical cockle fisheries in the Wadden Sea has been banned, particulary based upon a ruling from the European Court. The fishermen received financial compensation, a total of 85 million euros. Between 2004 and 2006, cockle fisheries in the Oosterschelde was temporary stopped. Manual cockle fisheries is allowed on a limited scale in the wadden region.