In 1965 a regulating order was passed in Parliament to ensure that the cockle industry in Penclawdd was safe for future generations of gatherers. This means that only those gatherers with a license are allowed to fish for cockles in the Burry Estuary. During the years since this date quotas and licenses have fluctuated with the availability of the cockles ensuring a fully sustainable source of cockles.
The Burry Inlet is one of the few estuaries left in this country in which commercial hand gathering using a rake and riddle continues. The biggest change that the local industry has seen since 1965 is the replacing of horses and carts with tractors.
Cockles thrive in Penclawdd due to there being very large areas of mud flats, on both sides of the estuary, rich in feed.
The factory is capable of processing 10 tonne of live shellfish per hour and is situated in an ideal position at the edge of the estuary. The cockles are graded into select sizes and processed in the new modern factory within hours of gathering.