What happened to the cockle pickers?

A decade ago 23 Chinese cockle pickers drowned when they were trapped by sweeping tides while working in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire. Yet, 10 years on, campaigners say workers are still being dangerously exploited in the UK. The headlines from China were full of disbelief. “The Devil’s beach,” one newspaper cried.

How many cockle pickers died in Morecambe Bay?

23 Chinese cockle pickers
The deaths 10 years ago of 23 Chinese cockle pickers who were searching for a “better life” has had a lasting effect on all those associated with the disaster in Morecambe Bay.

What’s a cockle picker?

Quick Reference. Or cocklers gather shellfish (cockles) from the sand at low tide. This traditional British occupation attained notoriety in 2004 when 23 Chinese migrant workers, hired as cocklepickers were drowned in Morecambe Bay in Lancashire.

Where is Morecambe Bay UK?

Morecambe Bay, bay of the Irish Sea deeply indenting the northwest coast of England between the port of Barrow-in-Furness to the north and the seaside resorts of Morecambe and Heysham to the south.

What are cockles and winkles?

As nouns the difference between cockle and winkle is that cockle is any of various edible european bivalve mollusks, of the family cardiidae, having heart-shaped shells or cockle can be any of several field weeds, such as the corncockle, , and lolium temulentum while winkle is a periwinkle or its shell, of family .

How do cockles reproduce?

How do they reproduce? Cockles spawn from October to December. They release eggs and sperm into the water on an outgoing tide. The little larvae spend 3 to 6 weeks on the sea surface before settling on the bottom.

How fast does the tide come in at Morecambe Bay?

The Bay is broad and relatively shallow with a large tidal range of up to 10.5 metres at spring tides and a flood tide that rushes into the Bay with the speed of ‘a good horse’. Tidal bores can reach speeds of up to 9 knots and can cover an area the size of a football pitch in minutes.

Is Morecambe better than Blackpool?

Blackpool scored just 1 out of 5 for its scenery and peace and quiet, although it did gain 4 out of 5 for its range of attractions and 3 out of 5 for its beach. Morecambe recorded 3 out of 5’s for both scenery and peace and quiet but just 1 out of 5 for attractions.

What is the largest Bay in the UK?

Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay is a huge sandy bay covering 310 square kilometres, making it the second largest bay in Britain after The Wash.

How many cockles are you allowed?

50 cockles
“There is a bag limit of 50 cockles per person per day, and the maximum penalty for exceeding this limit is an $11,000 fine and/or three months jail.

Where did Chinese cockle pickers die 10 years ago?

A decade ago 23 Chinese cockle pickers drowned when they were trapped by sweeping tides while working in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire.

The deaths 10 years ago of 23 Chinese cockle pickers who were searching for a “better life” has had a lasting effect on all those associated with the disaster in Morecambe Bay.

How did the cockle pickers get back to shore?

But as he was taken back to shore, Li could see the naked bodies of the 23 cockle pickers who had died in the water around him – their clothes torn off them by the water – and he realised he was the only one left alive.

Who was the leader of the cockle pickers?

His evidence in court h elped to convict leader Lin Liang Ren of 21 counts of manslaughter, facilitating illegal immigration and perverting the course of justice. He was jailed for 14 years – just four months for each worker’s life.