67 



The Yield of the Cockle Beds. 



In seeking for figures on which to base an estimate 

 of the productiveness of the Lancashire cockle fisheries, 

 one turns naturally to the published statistics of the 

 Board of Trade which relate to fisheries. Here, how- 

 ever, there is little available information, for statistics 

 are only collected at the most important ports, and 

 although the collectors discriminate between the various 

 animals landed, Crustacea (crabs, lobsters and shrimps), 

 and mollusca (oysters, mussels and cockles) are included 

 in the figures relating to " shell-fish." Owing to this 

 latter cause, comparisons between the amounts of cockles 

 landed at the same port during different years is im- 

 possible, and from the fact also that no account is taken 

 of the produce landed at many important cockling centres, 

 even an approximate estimate of the value of the Lan- 

 cashire cockle beds cannot be made. 



In the absence of any published data, an estimate of 

 the value of the fishery has been attempted by finding 

 approximately the number of cocklers employed on the 

 various beds, and the amount gathered daily by each 

 during the time of the year when the fishing is most 

 active. Obviously, only an approximation to the true 

 output of the beds can be made by this method, and it 

 has been regarded as preferable to under-estimate rather 

 than over-estimate the produce of the fishery. The totals 

 given in Table IV. then represent, at the least, the value 

 of the Lancashire cockle fishery. The figures, as to the 

 number of cocklers, &c, have been given for the most part 

 by the officers of the Lancashire Sea-Fisheries Committee. 

 Those for the Northern Division are given by Mr. J. 

 Wright, chief fishery officer at Piel, and the corresponding 

 statement for the Southern Division by Mr. G-. Eccles, 

 chief officer at New Brighton. Mr. E. L. Ascroft has 



