Working every day of the year, the team at Dunedin's Southern Clams can have an average of 4.5 tonnes of clams ready for market in six hours. In winter the team in the water harvest by torchlight and even have waves crashing over them on occasions. Director Roger Belton started Southern Clams in the early 1980's after his French girlfriend took him to experience the French food culture. Eighty percent of the clams are exported, particulary to the east coast of the USA where the large Italian poplulation need them for Spagetti alle Vonglole. The remaining clams are sold domestically at restaurants, wholesalers and the New World and Pak n Save supermarkets.
Southern Clams take sustainability very seriously even investing in forestry in order to be carbon accountable. They have never harvested their full quota of clams and are contantly looking for new ways to reduce bycatch.
Southern clams barge loaded in mist.
loading up clam shells in Dunedin
I was just thankful my waders didn't leak.
Clam shells being returned to seafloor from boat.
Clam harvester being taken from boat.
Harvesting clams in Blueskin Bay
Harvesting clams in Blueskin Bay
Harvesting clams in Dunedin Harbour.
Portrait of Roger Belton, owner of Southern Clams, standing in sea.
Red bags of clams on seafloor
Southern Clams
Close up look at Blueskin Bay Clams.
Harvesting clams at Blueskin Bay.
Loading sacks of clams in Blueskin Bay.
Loading sacks of clams in Blueskin Bay.
Freshly harvested clams on barge at Blueskin Bay, New Zealand
Fully loaded barge of fresh clams at Blueskin Bay.
Roger Belton, Managing Director at Southern Clams on small outboard boat.
Close up look at clam recruitment.
Clams at Blueskin Bay, New Zealand.
Clams being sorted in factory
Clams being shucked for chowder.
Whiteboard of clam sizes.
Sorting fresh clams for export
Sorting fresh clams for export
Bags of fresh clams ready for export.