THE smell of sea and salt emanated from a bubbling wok as fisherman Mohd Noh Ikanan lifted out a plump blood cockle, pried its shell apart and popped the meat into his mouth.
Caught just an hour before, the freshness was evident as he savoured the mollusc that was an important ingredient in a good bowl of curry laksa.
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Zulkifly harvesting cockles at his lot in Bagan Nakhoda Omar, Sabak Bernam. — Photos: GRACE CHEN/The Star
Cockle spats at various stages of growth. Smuggling is one of the causes for dwindling cockle population in Selangor.
Abdul Rahman says the throwing of empty cockle shells back into the sea can affect habitats as they will transform the soft muddy seabed.
Muhd Fadli and his wife, Siti Rohaya Ikanan, at their seafood stall. The blood cockle price has ballooned from RM1.94 per kilogramme in 2008 to RM8 at present.
The gaps on cockle scoops (foreground) are made to comply with Fisheries Department directive to ensure harvest of only matured cockles.
Volunteer divers showing the old fishing nets found near artificial reefs at Bagan Nakhoda Omar.
Villager Asiah Ismail combing the muddy beach flats at Bagan Nakhoda Omar to look for ‘barai’. The mud flats are rich picking grounds for a variety of shellfish, including blood cockles.
Close to 180kg of domestic trash were collected in a recent beach clean-up organised by Selangor Fisheries in Bagan Nakhoda Omar.
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