11 replies to this topic

[Aleana]

What’s the study with availability of clams in NZ? Up until about a month ago they were in every supermarket next to the mussels. Now none in sight. Fishmonger says none for a while. Are they seasonal? Fishmonger didn’t know! Only info I can find suggests they should be available year round like mussels???

[erice]

"clams" seems to mean almost any shellfish to most americans

 

in much the same way "shrimp" seems to = shrimp, prawn, scampy, crayfish, lobster

 

i guess you mean the white cockles? sometimes seen in red mesh bags next to the mussels at countdown etc

 

mussels + oysters are farmed, so are available year-round

 

but pipis, tuatua, cockles, bluff oysters, scallops, paua, geoducks? don't seem to be farmed 

 

https://en.wikipedia..._in_New_Zealand

 

edit

 

these cockles = little neck clams, look like the ones have seen at supermarkets

 

http://nzclams.com/

 

harvested from the beaches of otago

 

probably only seasonal 

[Aleana]

Yup when I said clams I meant to use the scientific name:

“Small white things next to the mussels at Countdown”

[Jon]

Got some at the Barrier on Sunday
That may not help

[BOIGuy]

Pretty sure they come from the beach

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[erice]

from that littleneck page

 

There is an on-going traditional customary and recreational harvest throughout New Zealand. In the past twenty years there has been a growing commercial harvest of littleneck clams, the main sites being located on Snake Bank in the Whangarei Harbour, etc etc

 

Snake Bank is not the only cockle bed in Whangarei Harbour, but it is the only bed open for commercial fishing. The others are on the mainland, notably Marsden Bay, and other sandbanks,

 

pic of snake bank

 

https://photosnz.co....shellfish-beds/

 

edit

 

Okoromai Bay in Shakespear Regional Park

 

 

https://www.albomadv...ecting-cockles/

[wheels]

If you want the real McCoy Clam, they are called Surf Clams.
A guy I have known for many years pioneered harvesting Surf Clams right here in Marlborough. His Son's now run the company.
If you are on Facebook, you can find them here
https://www.facebook...93973434011279/
If you want to read about them, try this link
http://supermarketne...oudy-bay-clams/

[Black Panther]

In Mexico they have a clam that believe it or not is naturally spicy. Delicious stuffed with salsa and barbequed.

[harrytom]

surf clams most likely exported,what you get in the supermarket are dredge cockles and we all know the beds are thinning,lots of AK beach get closures.There was a bay on Ponui island that produce 50mm/70mm cockles right through the 70s well in to the 90s.Went back in 2012 and nil,what we found was a black sludge which has since found out is sediment washed from the beachlands area and even dredging silt from pine harbour,speaking of which since pine harbour has gone in the little island to the south of pine harbour had sweet mussels. The mussels there now will make you crook.The beach south of beachlands Te puna?? had cockle right up to early 2000,now nil and black sludge.

[Rehabilitated]

Harrytom they are in the newworld super market here besides the piddly mussels coated with barnacles and other rubbish. At Wilson and Moore they are there also but they have a warning sign and information on  their cabinet stating not to choose  the shellfish that are damaged or open as they are not live but dead.  The undamaged and closed, Consume within 24 hours and do not refrigerate. Refrigeration kills them  and if you are not going to consume them straight away do not keep them in fresh water, only use salt water and consume within 24 hours.

 

Fortunately I had read the notice before visiting the local fish & chip T/A which had been purchased by new owners that where Asians. I was going to order mussels which the OLD owner used and where cooked marinated large wholesale graded mussels in 5-10 litre plastic containers that restaurants use and kept in the refrigerated, usually twice the size than the marinated retail variety or  supposedly live shell, she was shelling non cooked mussels [ raw ] some open and damaged that looked liked the mussels purchase from across the road newworld,  then keeping them in plastic container raw in the refrigerator until a customer ordered them, in batter to the fryer. I asked her where she had purchased the mussels as Coromandel mussels, which N/W supermarket or the N/w super market here supplier is. She got very annoyed and kept on stating that they where from the local wholesaler, would not name the local supplier and would not state whether they were Coro or marlb mussels. She did not know the difference. Spoke in limited English. She was washing them in fresh water and stated 'do you want to order or not'. Asked again as MPI had a warning for Coro mussels but not Marlb. She got even more upset / guarded and I stated so other customers could hear, you are not giving straight answers and very noticeably guarded / annoyed and I'm not prepared to take the risk. I left without ordering as they were not the marinated wholesalers large mussels 5  - 10 ltr containers and also they could have got them themselves or via a black market. .

 

So do not know if Wilson and Moore warning is over the top so people can not complain / lodge a complaint with the health department if they get sick with shellfish toxin poisoning or whether they are genuine concerned and are taking all steps to protect their customers. Probably both. I noticed the live crayfish tank had some open and damaged mussels for food. All super markets that I have shopped at n/w count, p&k  do not have such warnings.

 

MPI regularly give health toxic warnings that Coromandel and far north west coast shellfish not to be consume. I asked the staff were they aware of the warnings and when did they get them. Reply did know of such warnings and told them to register for such warnings with MPI. They thanked me.

 

Marlborough sounds do not have as many MPI toxic as Coromandel area.