g̱a̱boox [g̱a̱/*boox] – cockles

/ Lisa

In the Tsimshian calendar, October is Ha’lila̱x sig̱aboox [ha/’li/*la̱x/si/g̱a/*boox] – the time to harvest cockles. But in the Ts’msyen territory, cockles are good to harvest anywhere from October to February.

Steve checks the marine weather and tides daily, so last month in Ha’liwilgyisiyaask [Ha/’li/wil/gyi/si/*yaask] – the time of the north wind, February, we knew there was going to be a good tide for cockles (19:18 – 1.3 ft).

A dog in cockle beach
Copper Sampson-Robinson, out digging on a February cockle tide.

Last year we kept an eye out for cockle beaches (beaches with lots of cockle shells), and tested out a few spots this cockle season – once in Ha’lila̱x sig̱aboox, and once in Ha’liwilgyisiyaask.

When we went out last October, we realized our cockle forks were too wide and were causing some major resistance while raking. More resistance in the sand = twice as much work. So Steve and his dad Tom ground down the forks so they were skinnier, and no longer spayed at the ends.

a fork on the ground
The latest fork modification.

This time around the raking was easier, and we filled two buckets in about an hour and a half. Still, I think we could grind down the forks a little skinnier (trial and error).

A woman digging cockle in the cockle beach
Steve’s method of raking is very much random, and involves a lot of test-rake spots. My method is much more uniform, and looks more like a grid.

Cockle digging is super fun, especially when you find a hot spot! We had a couple two-fer’s (two cockles in one pass of the rake), but most of the time they were spread out. They’re usually about 3 inches under the surface on a sandy beach. Sometimes you’ll see them squirt as you’re raking. Our rule of thumb was, if they slide between the forks, they’re too small to take home.

As it got darker, we set up a lamp and put on our headlights. Then our raking revolved around the light, and we went as far as we could see. We wore waders while cockle digging, mainly because it is easier to get to and from the boat when anchored off the beach.

When we went back to the boat later in the evening, we looked down with our head lamps and saw a million tiny eyes looking back at us! We were surrounded by spot prawns that weren’t there when we arrived. They must have moved into the shallows of our cockle beach. I did not think I was scared of prawns, until they had us surrounded lol. Unfortunately we did not have a butterfly net to scoop them up with.

Whenever we go on the boat, Steve is in charge of getting the boat ready, and I’m in charge of snacks. I think that one of my best qualities is the ability to choose decent boat snacks (if I do say so myself).

A lady holding valentines chocolates
February means valentines chocolates!

Side note – at twilight, Copper decided to take him self for a walk, and took off down the beach. We lost sight of him for 5 minutes, but by then I had to go for a walk to find him (by myself, thanks Stephen!). I was worried he found a mink or a ‘wa̱tsa̱ [‘wa̱/*tsa̱] – land otter/ shape shifter, and was getting himself lost in the pitch black forest near where we were digging. But eventually I saw his little blueberry eyes, and he raced back toward us.

A lady smiling and holding two shells
How to clean cockles out of the shell:
A man cleaning with a hose
1. Spray the cockles off with a hose! They’ll most likely be covered in sand when you go to clean them.
A man cracking two cockles together
2. Crack the cockle shell open! We crack them open by cracking two cockles together. Sometimes the shells are very hard, so we have to crack them on the ground or on another, harder shell!
A man cutting the cockle with a knife
3. Once the cockle is exposed, you can either pull the cockle out carefully with your fingers, while trying to preserve as much meat as possible, or use a knife to cut the cockle right at the adductor muscles (the two oval shaped muscles that keep the cockle in the shell). Steve prefers the knife method because you can make sure to get all the meat out, including those adductor muscles (which are tasty!). I prefer pulling the cockle out – partially because it’s faster, but also I think it’s safer because you’re less likely to cut yourself. The shells are already pretty sharp when you’re cleaning.
A lady holding a shell
4. Put the cockle in your bowl for preserving or smoking, and the shells go into the discard bucket and eventually back into the ocean. We usually give the cockles a second rinse under the kitchen tap before vacuum sealing them. This just gets any additional sand off the cockle before you go to cook it.

For more info on safely harvesting shellfish, check out the BC Centre for Disease Control:
Shellfish Harvesting Safety: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/prevention-public-health/shellfish-harvesting-safety
Shellfish Safety: Advice for Harvesters (brochure): http://www.bccdc.ca/resource-gallery/Documents/Educational%20Materials/EH/FPS/Fish/Shellfishsafetyharvesteradvise.pdf

–S&L, March 6, 2020

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