COCKLERS are accused of turning a Merseyside beauty spot into a rubbish dump.
Up to 500 people a day trekked on to the sands off Leasowe and Moreton last week after cockle beds were opened for commercial fishing for the first time in 20 years.
But they have left a trail of litter in their wake including rubber gloves, plastic bags, urine-filled bottles and fast food containers. See this video of cockling in Leasowe, taken by Drum Images, for an indication of the scale of cockling.
Two 4x4 vehicles even became stuck in the sand as some cocklers tried to leave with their haul.
The North West Sea Fisheries Committee, which regulates inshore sea fisheries, played down the scale of the problem.
But Wirral Council said it was notified too late about the decision to open the beds and said the area would need a “comprehensive clean-up”.
The beds officially opened in September but commercial picking was banned until the cockles could be classed as fit for human consumption.
Last week they won a Grade C classification meaning they cannot be sold to be eaten raw but are safe if properly heat-treated by cooking.
Dog-walker Philip White said: “The promenade in front of the car park used by the cockle pickers is strewn with rubbish sacks and plastic bottles. This complete lack of respect for our environment is simply not acceptable.”
Andrew Brownrigg, Sea Fisheries officer for the area, said the intense cockling was likely to be short-lived.
He said: “It actually hasn’t been too bad at all. All these people have got the required documentation and are perfectly within the law to do it.
“People have travelled from all parts of the country for this. All these fishermen have got mortgages to pay and Christmas is coming up. They’ve got to get as much as they can.”
Leasowe Councillor Ian Lewis said: “Leasowe is not suitable for this scale of commercial cockling. Since the cockling beds were made a free-for-all the area has resembled an industrial processing plant.”
David Elderton, cabinet member for culture and tourism, said: “When the current fishing period ends we will carry out a comprehensive clean up of the whole area affected. In the meantime, I would like to invite committee members to visit the area to see the impact of their decision.”
