| 27 October 2006
An illegal gang of cockle pickers have been caught trying to harvest cockles infected with toxic algae by North Cornwall DC.
A gang master, known to local authorities in Wales, and four Polish recruits attempted to harvest the shellfish beds on the Camel Estuary on 9 October while wearing camouflaged protective clothing. After a tip-off, food safety officers and police officers confronted the gang and ordered them to replace the cockles they had removed.
The shellfish beds were closed at the time due to the presence of a naturally occurring algae known as diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, which can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain if ingested. The gang claimed they were unaware of the closure of the beds and of the legally required permits to harvest and transport shellfish.
Food safety officer John Dickinson said: 'We felt it best in this case to avoid legal action and instead of us seizing and destroying the cockles they had collected they agreed to replace them. 'We had widely advertised the closure of the shellfish beds and we were able to take action within an hour of a call from a member of the general public saying she had seen a gang.'
The Camel Estuary has now been given the all-clear and the ban on shellfish harvesting lifted following negative tests for DSP.
© 2006 Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
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