Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Shifting Sands of Morecambe Bay: Cockling, Communities and Change is a film that was commissioned as an output from exploratory oral histories research led by Natural England as part of the Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) programme (2021–2025). The study involved interviews with 25 individuals, many of whom are cockle fishers or members of long-established cockling families.
mNCEA was a UK Government–funded science and innovation programme designed to test new approaches to strengthen the evidence base and support marine decision-making. mNCEA brought together ecological, social, and economic evidence to support a more holistic understanding of the marine environment. The film contributes to the mNCEA programme goals by demonstrating how narrative forms of social science evidence can inform marine management by capturing the human dimensions of environmental and regulatory change.
Presenting the research findings based on themes that were identified in the analysis, it illustrates the lived experiences of some of those connected to the Morecambe Bay cockle fishery. It was created to bring the research findings to life. Through personal accounts, the film reveals the values and perspectives of these interviewees, and the ties they have to the Bay and its fishery.
It includes viewpoints that do not always align with current scientific evidence, but it provides cultural insights and understanding of how environmental and regulatory change related to the fishery can be experienced. However, being based on an in-depth qualitative study, it does not claim to represent the views of everyone who works in the fishery or lives in the Morecambe Bay area.
This film accompanies a detailed research report called Morecambe Bay cockle fishery: fisher and local experiences of change that is available within Natural England’s Access to Evidence catalogue: publications.naturalengland.org.uk/.
The report outlines the study methodology and findings in full, exploring participants’ values, experiences of change within the fishery, and potential implications for cockle fishery management in Morecambe Bay. The outputs are designed to complement each other; the research report provides wider context which supports interpretation of the film.
More information about the wider mNCEA programme can be found at: gov.uk/government/publications/natural-capital-and-ecosystem-assessment-ncea-programme/natural-capital-and-ecosystem-assessment-ncea-programme
Image Credit: Clarke Film and Media
Shifting Sands of Morecambe Bay: Cockling, Communities and Change is a film that was commissioned as an output from exploratory oral histories research led by Natural England as part of the Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) programme (2021–2025). The study involved interviews with 25 individuals, many of whom are cockle fishers or members of long-established cockling families.
mNCEA was a UK Government–funded science and innovation programme designed to test new approaches to strengthen the evidence base and support marine decision-making. mNCEA brought together ecological, social, and economic evidence to support a more holistic understanding of the marine environment. The film contributes to the mNCEA programme goals by demonstrating how narrative forms of social science evidence can inform marine management by capturing the human dimensions of environmental and regulatory change.
Presenting the research findings based on themes that were identified in the analysis, it illustrates the lived experiences of some of those connected to the Morecambe Bay cockle fishery. It was created to bring the research findings to life. Through personal accounts, the film reveals the values and perspectives of these interviewees, and the ties they have to the Bay and its fishery.
It includes viewpoints that do not always align with current scientific evidence, but it provides cultural insights and understanding of how environmental and regulatory change related to the fishery can be experienced. However, being based on an in-depth qualitative study, it does not claim to represent the views of everyone who works in the fishery or lives in the Morecambe Bay area.
This film accompanies a detailed research report called Morecambe Bay cockle fishery: fisher and local experiences of change that is available within Natural England’s Access to Evidence catalogue: publications.naturalengland.org.uk/.
The report outlines the study methodology and findings in full, exploring participants’ values, experiences of change within the fishery, and potential implications for cockle fishery management in Morecambe Bay. The outputs are designed to complement each other; the research report provides wider context which supports interpretation of the film.
More information about the wider mNCEA programme can be found at: gov.uk/government/publications/natural-capital-and-ecosystem-assessment-ncea-programme/natural-capital-and-ecosystem-assessment-ncea-programme
Image Credit: Clarke Film and Media
