Local people making their corner of rural Britain unique
This week
Saturday听8 November
Repeated Thursday听13 November
On this week's Open Country Helen Mark finds out about a mysterious spate of cockle mortalities in the Helford River.
The humble cockle has been a mainstay of coastal diets for centuries and though tiny the ridged mollusc is a vital part of the Helford River's ecosystem.
In parts of Wales and the Northeast mass cockle mortalities have been threatening the future of the cockle picking industry and the latest spate of cockle deaths being investigated by Dr Matt Longshaw at have been found in the Helford. Though there is no commercial interest in cockles here and the area is protected there is a tradition of 'trigging' for cockles in the area and the people who watch and care for the river are concerned about this bivalve which is also a vital foodstuff for the many birds and fish in the area.
Biologist Pamela Tomsett, Founding member Lesley Collins and Membership Chairman David Nightingale of the are a vital part of the life, history and leisure activities which keep the creeks and waterways of the Helford so much a part of inhabitant鈥檚 lives here.听 They're working to听safeguard the marine life of the beautiful Helford River, to increase its biological diversity and raise awareness of its marine interest and importance. This also means working with industry to keep the river a working part of life there. Ben Wright of the 听in Port Navas is one such business which is as much concerned with the health of the river and its wildlife as in employing local people to work on the oyster boats.
On such a busy but treacherous waterway it's also vital that the people using the river are kept safe. The听 at Nare Point are a voluntary organisation doing just that and point again to how care,听vigilance and co-operation are key to this complex landscapes survival.
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