13 cockles. Sometimes the women put their forefingers in holes where cockles inhabit and
pluck out single cockles one at a time. These holes are only noticeable when the tide ebbs completely from the banks. Sometimes spoons are used to pluck out cockles but
superstitious beliefs of cockles disappearing from high yield places due to use of spoons, stop the women from using spoons. Similar to the oyster harvesters, as soon as high tide
starts to set in, the cockle gatherers return to the landing sites. 3.5 Processing
Processing of oysters and cockles is performed by the same women who harvest them from the wild.
3.5.1 Oyster Processing
Until recently the processing of oysters involved cooking in water or roasting and smoking. However, steaming or boiling is more common nowadays because it is more
effective and consumes fewer resources firewood, water and time. The process begins with removal of foreign matter from the harvested oyster. The live oysters are then
steamed in pansdrums for 30 minutes to one hour during which the shells open up or the muscles soften up to ease opening of the shells and extraction of the meat.
If oysters are to be smoked, which is now a rare practice, they are placed directly onto the burning fire or on metal grill over the fire. In either case, the oysters are then split
open with knives to extract the meat which is collected in woven baskets and marketed often after they are washed clean or even reheated in some sites. In some other places in
the country, the meat is preserved by salting and sun drying to very low moisture content before they are marketed.
Meanwhile the oyster shells are gathered in heaps and sold out for cash to users in the production of white lime, for brick making, the preparation of chicken feed and fertilizer.
3.5.2 Cockle Processing
Cockles are normally processed by boilingsteaming in pots, pans or drums for about 30 minutes to one hour during which the shells open up and the cockle meat loosens up or
fall out of the shell. After steaming, the cockle meat is usually sieved with perforated trays or they are shaken and separated by gravity when the meat falls to the bottom and
shells gently scooped out from the top. Following separation, individual cockle meat pieces are picked out from the separated
shells and returned to the sieved out meat, and small shell particles that remain are also removed picked by hand. The meat is then placed in baskets and washed many times in
sea water. Water is allowed to drip and the product re-cooked before marketing. In some instances the product is salted and sun dried to very low moisture content before storage
and subsequent marketing, similar to oysters.
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3.6 Marketing
