After 30 years of ban cockles are said to be commercially harvested from Otago Harbour for the first time. Dunedin company Southern Clams has been given a trial research permit to harvest littleneck clams from the banks of the harbour. The company said that it currently processes around four tonnes of clams a day, which it harvests from nearby Blueskin Bay.
It is also said that the new permit will allow the company to move into Otago Harbour to harvest the native clams, which are in strong demand overseas. It is told that Otago Harbour is believed to hold the country’s largest stocks of littleneck clams, but it has been off-limits to commercial harvesting since the 1970s.
It is informed that the research into the impact of mass harvesting on the cockle population will take place over the three-year trial period. The company is focusing on two areas near Port Chalmers, where it believes it can establish a sustainable harvesting operation. Southern Clams’ Dave Redshaw opined that the areas they’ve identified, they’ve designed them to suit a commercial operation on an ongoing basis.
Redshaw opined that they were supportive of the mataitai, they just didn’t think it should include the whole harbour. Redshaw said he believe that the harbour is a big area and it can suit all users, all stakeholders. The company is allowed to harvest up to 650 tonnes of clams over the next three years and the first boats are expected to head out last next month.
