New Zealand cockles, known to Māori as tuangi, are abundant in muddy estuaries. The size of a 50-cent piece, they are a considered a delicacy. However, cockles are filter feeders and may contain concentrated toxic chemicals from phytoplankton or bacteria. It is important that they are collected only from unpolluted sites. These people on Petone’s foreshore in 1979 are eating their cockles raw.
Using this item
Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PAColl-7327)
Reference:
EP/1979/0029-F
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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