He died in Lancashire, so his mother killed herself in Fujian. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Inset: bodies being removed after the disaster. I heard it a lot that month, during two visits to the province to interview some of the families of the cockle pickers who had just died at Morecambe. An . He cooks noodles for the family, helps his mother with the piecework, and trims his dreams to fit the new reality. ", She shows me a letter she received from her husband before he died. At a confiscation hearing in 2011, Bo, 46, and Yan, 43, were ordered to pay back about 1m which they had made. When the creditors come knocking - at least once a month for the past three years - he begs for more time. 2023 BBC. Today marks 15 years since 23 people died in the Morecambe Bay cockling disaster. Birds have nested in the roof. The Gangmasters Licensing Authority is unsurprised. "If someone goes abroad, everybody in the neighbourhood lends them money because they believe they will be repaid in three or four years," Chen says. He would rather start work early so that he can start making payments on the debt that he will inherit as soon as he comes of age - a responsibility that few children of his age have to bear. But the family is subsisting rather than living. [16][17], In 2010, artist Isaac Julien released his film Ten Thousand Waves about the disaster. Romania: Castles, Ruins, and Medieval Villages, Iceland in Summer: Journey Through a Fabled Land, Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Mokele-Mbembe, Accidental Discoveries: A Celebration of Historical Mistakes, Antiques and Their Afterlives: Stories from the Collection of Ryan and Regina Cohn, Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Satanists, Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tale Writing With Anca Szilgyi, Gourds Gone Wild: Growing and Crafting Gourds With Gourdlandia, Playing Ancient Games: History & Mythology With John Bucher, Secrets of Tarot Reading: History & Practice With T. Susan Chang, Why 18th-Century Scots Performed Mock Human Sacrifices Over Cake. But 5,000 miles away in Fujian province, on the south-eastern coast of China, lives are still being sucked into the sands. "I am sorry I couldn't invite you to my place. The walls are cracked. He does everything he is told without complaint or enthusiasm. My only hope is that all of the family stay safe and healthy. More than 1,000 days after the accident, they haven't paid back a single yuan of the original 80,000-yuan (5,300) loan. Oneupmanship does not come much more literal. Mr Sheridan wants to see its remit extended into industries including social care and construction. Mr Gradwell claimed other similar disasters could still occur because people are willing to exploit the poorest in society for their own ends. The widow's house is easy to spot in Shangjiang village. Inside Out is broadcast on Monday 3 February at 19:30 GMT on BBC One North West and nationwide for seven days thereafter on the iPlayer. The 21 men and two women were aged between 18 and 45 and were. Professor Gary Craig, who led the study, said there was a "real problem" getting people to acknowledge that "slavery exists in the UK" and warned there were "accidents waiting to happen". I thought I might just as well wait to die. Only 21 bodies were recovered. He said the team on the hovercraft covering Arnside in Cumbria began their "normal search patterns" when they made the grim discovery of the bodies. He earned a lot in his first year and wrote to say that he was happy in Britain. ", At the bottom, he tags on a brief message to their two sons. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). The young woman shrugs as she ushers her son into the bedroom next door. Photograph: Don McPhee for the Guardian, en years ago this week, 23 men and women lost their lives searching for cockles in Morecambe Bay. These lenders, many of whom are poor themselves, charge interest of about 10% a year. "It was very harrowing. Instead of immigration vans, raids and endless spot checks, we need resources to be redirected into penalising exploitative employers and protecting workers. It seems workers have little confidence in reporting abuse to the GLA: "They don't seem to do much with the intelligence," a source told me. "The only way I can bear life now is to imagine that he is still alive.". Some 30 cockle pickers set out at 4 pm. He said: "The water covered the wheel and the vehicle couldn't move. One solitary figure stands at the edge of the sea, the sole survivor . In Fujian, a man is judged by the height of his home. Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, Lin Liang Ren was jailed for 14 years in 2006, Research led by Durham University last year, Met Gala 2023: Stars celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, HSBC says 1 bank buyout boosted profit by $1.5bn, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests. Because of a lack of resources its budget was cut by 17% between 2011 and 2014 the GLA's ability to investigate and prosecute employers is limited. But she feels a constant pressure. [3][4] The workers had been trafficked via containers into Liverpool, and were hired out through local criminal agents of international Chinese Triads. Mandarin, Fuzhou dialect, English. Ten years after the cockle pickers' tragedy, we are still focusing on the arrival of migrants, not their rights, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. When foreign tourists ignore the warnings not to drive onto - Reddit Others are furious and threaten to beat me. ", The scars of Morecambe's cockling disaster, North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, AI chatbots 'may soon be more intelligent than us', Russia troop deaths hit 20,000 in five months - US, Palestinian hunger striker dies in Israel prison, The 17 most eye-catching looks at the Met Gala, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. But he also rang home to Fujian. 2023 BBC. Song Xinyao is a smart 17-year-old who dreamed of going to university. We do not have a lot of money but we are happy to go through each day peacefully and I am very thankful And glad to be alive," Mr Hua added. Cheetham says the Gangmasters Licensing Act, passed in 2004 after the tragedy, hasn't changed things much. Gentleman will know that on that night 10 years ago, the cockle pickers could just as easily have set off from the Furness end of Morecambe bay, had the tides been . The favoured area for cockle picking is close to the low tide line near the confluence of the Keer Channel and the Kent Channel, approximately 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) north of Morecambe. Mr Hua was speaking to the BBC under the protection of the government's UK Protected Persons Service. "From time to time I wake up in the night with a panic attack and remember them. 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But it is still not rich enough to keep people from leaving. [2] The Chinese workers were unfamiliar with local geography, language, and custom. Misery appears to be what he is used to. Memories of the, UKmigrants no different to Brits abroad, says home office minister, Don't claim we didn't act on gangmasters after Morecambe Bay, Cameron to push for cap on European migrants in UK negotiations with EU, Seasonal migrant workers scheme closes to help British into work, Newfigures reveal dramatic increase in hate crimes against Polish people, UKmust end dependency on low-wage foreign labour, says Ed Miliband, Home Office 'did not predict huge surge in immigration visas for entrepreneurs', EdMiliband promises to close loophole allowing exploitation of foreign workers, Romanians and Bulgarians in the UK react to immigration furore. Cockle shell sculpture to overlook Morecambe Bay - BBC News The smuggled Fujianese headed directly to the sources of wealth, including Europe. Read about our approach to external linking. A NORTH West Tory MP remained defiant today over an offensive joke about the Chinese cockle pickers who drowned in Morecambe Bay. Apart from the senior hovercraft commander, many of the crew on that particular night on the hovercraft hadn't seen bodies in the water before.". He makes no first impression, creates no fuss, just sits quietly waiting for his chance to speak while others are pulling at the heartstrings. I hope he is able to escape deep into the comic books he reads as his mother tells me of a disaster followed by a tragedy followed by years of hopelessness. He said: "If there's any fitting memorial to the poor people that died it would be that we can legislate or do our best to make sure no one dies in a similar situation. "The accident was a disaster for me. Education - supposedly free - costs more than 2,000 yuan (132) a year. ", Among all the people I meet in Fujian, Lin has come the furthest to talk but appears to have the lowest expectations. "Ha ha, smile!" "They put me in prison for a year. [2] Twenty-one bodies, of men and women between the ages of 18 and 45, were recovered from the bay after the incident. "Tens of thousands of illegal Chinese workers were living in the country," he said. "The families who lent us the money are also poor. ", Dependants Wife Zhou Xiaomei and son Cao Xianyong 13, daughter Cao Meiyun 16 Debt 200,000 yuan (13,250) Monthly income 250 yuan (17). Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. As Yu Lihong starts to recall her mother-in-law's suicide, warm rain thunders down outside the barred, blue-tinted windows of the apartment at the top of the dark staircase, a walk of nine storeys every time the family has to go out to buy some noodles. These early 19th-century kilns were used to make coke, a key Ingredient in steel production. Outside, there are building materials for some home improvements that have been shelved indefinitely. "Look at this house. [9][1], At the subsequent hearing, British cocklers returning to shore on the same evening were reported to have attempted to warn the Chinese group by tapping their watches and trying to speak with them. "There is no precedent All we can do is wait.". Gone_Gary_T Jazz Record Requests Additional comment actions. Lin Guohua is at the bottom of the heap. Sinking water, sinking water.". The accident happened after more than 30 cocklers - thought to be Chinese who do not speak English - were caught by rising waters in the Hest Bank . Where things are going right, the success stories - of giddy growth, sudden wealth and market domination - entirely justify the country's image as the nascent superpower of the 21st century. [12] Lin Mu Yong was sentenced to four years and nine months. Yet many of the underlying causes, and especially the role of gangmasters, remain unresolved. Alan Sledmore, who guides people across the bay, said "The area is very . Think the car is still there completely buried, but surfaces occasionally when the channels change. The pair, who operated from houses in the West Midlands, had hidden 22,000 they . Find Cockle Pickers Work At Morecambe Bay stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Migrants such as Dong take the fast route into the global workforce, while tens of millions of peasants take the slow road, by labouring in Chinese factories making products for western consumers. A unique sculpture calls the outside of this steakhouse home. Artist Isaac Julien: 'I didn't know if I'd live on until the 90s. A lot "Well, actually, slavery is here and now in the UK and the research which I've done with colleagues suggests there may be upwards of 10,000 people at any one time in the UK in conditions which we would class as modern slavery.". The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. A decade ago 23 Chinese cockle pickers drowned when they were trapped by sweeping tides while working in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire. They became trapped by rising tides and were swept out to sea. "I can barely pay the fees for his high-school education. "It is not fair for the children. Market reforms have produced stunning economic growth and many new millionaires, but they have also eroded access to healthcare and education for the poor. At the moment, it is impossible. Their father had died in an accident several years earlier, leaving the family deep in debt. The combination of rising flood waters and ferocious incoming tide meant the trapped cockle-pickers "didn't stand a chance", a sands expert said. The 2004 Morecambe Bay disaster saw a group of Chinese cockle pickers drowned by rising tides as they worked gathering shellfish for criminal gangmasters. "I have no plan. But because the victims were all illegal migrants, their dependants have received no compensation, meagre charity, and endured such appalling harassment from debt collectors that several have been driven from their homes and at least one woman has killed herself. Isaac Julien: 'What Freedom Is to Me' at Tate Britain review In January 2005, just short of a year after her son's death, Shi decided to join him. The deaths 10 years ago of 23 Chinese cockle pickers who were searching for a "better life" has had a lasting effect on all those associated with the disaster in Morecambe Bay. [19] This song was later covered by folk musician Christy Moore.[20]. Morecambe Bay cockling disaster's lasting impact - BBC News Mr Hua said: "I could not believe I was being rescued and I was alive again.". I thank him and the Minister for allowing me to speak briefly on this important matter. Bags of cockles on Morecambe beach as the search mission goes on. The death of her husband Dong Xinwu has left them with a debt of 240,000 yuan and no breadwinner to pay it back. It is a short, scrawled tale of misery: "Wife. And, of course, the debt from the dead woman's passage to Britain still hangs over them. [13][14], A 2006 documentary Death in the Bay: The Cocklepickers' Story, was commissioned by Channel 4 as part of The Other Side from local filmmaker Loren Slater, who was one of the first people on the scene. The Morecambe disaster was recognised as a crime by a British court. Rescue workers take away the body of one of the Chinese cockle pickers who died after they were trapped by the rising tide in Morecambe Bay in 2004 Tracy Brown, a Morecambe town councillor said . Please, The subscription details associated with this account need to be updated. The problem has got worse and the resources directed to it are totally inadequate.". 96 minutes. "I went myself when I was young. Michael Guy, lifeboat operations manager was on duty that night. Both Freeman and Bowkett were ordered by the judge to each pay 10,000 costs. He added: "What's changed since Morecambe Bay? You must go around the back of Red Bank Farm and it is a sharp left up on the on the banking, looking over the Bay. "But my mother almost never stops crying. The windows are broken. On surrounding plots of land, meanwhile, neighbours are erecting huge new villas with the money sent back by family members overseas. By The Newsroom. "So it had a lasting effect on them," he added. Memories of the tragedy may have faded in the public mind. Almost a decade after the disaster, Mr Hua said he still has panic attacks. Offer subject to change without notice. "Shouldn't the boy go and play next door?" Siblings Cai Zhixiang and Cai Huiling were orphaned by the Morecambe tragedy. When 23 Chinese cockle pickers died at Morecambe Bay in 2004, the gangmaster was caught and convicted, bodies were repatriated, the disaster tidied away. Her orphaned nephew Xu Bin has inherited debts of more than 200,000 yuan (13,250). "The tragic deaths of twenty-three young Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay on the Lancashire coast have been attributed to the machinations of global capitalism. The GLA has had some success in dismantling crime rings in Cambridgeshire, Derby and Norfolk, yet the scale of the problem seems beyond its reach. "Maybe when the children are older, they can work and pay off our debts. Although they don't say anything, I know they worry every day about debt. "We all came for the same reason. The death of 19 cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay has added to its reputation for being a deadly area for the unwary. Bo and Yan Li were jailed in 2009 for a scam linked to the deaths of the cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay in 2004. I wish you and my son health and safety. Morecambe Bay cockling disaster, 2004 - BBC Archive But he gets up without grumbling and poses patiently next to his mother. He would be reunited with his wife as soon as hed found somewhere of his own to live, he was told. In the Channel 4 documentary Benefits Street, viewers saw a group of Romanian workers who were owed wages by their gangmaster, who also held their passports. [5][2] An extensive search and rescue operation was launched. When 23 Chinese cockle pickers died at Morecambe Bay in 2004, the gangmaster was caught and convicted, bodies were repatriated, the disaster tidied away. The Chinese cockle pickers died in 2004 when they were caught in the rising tide at Bolton-le-Sands near Morecambe, Lancashire. Rescue teams continue their search over Morecambe bay, where many cockle pickers are feared dead after they were trapped by the rising tide in. 2004 mass drowning in Morecambe Bay, England, "Skull found in Morecambe Bay 'belongs to cockle-picker', "Cockle pickers were swimming the wrong direction", "Man Convicted in Shellfish Pickers' Deaths", "Cockler deaths jury shown film of survivor's rescue", "Victims of the sands and the snakeheads", Cocklers tragedy highlights need for high safety standards, "Exhibition: 'Memento', Ed Pien, 24 April - 4 July 2009", BBC report, Cockler gangmaster gets 14 years, The Cod Fisheries: The History of an International Economy, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Morecambe_Bay_cockling_disaster&oldid=1151986537, February 2004 events in the United Kingdom, Illegal immigration to the United Kingdom, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 13:17. BBC NEWS | UK | England | Lancashire | Cockle pickers died from drowning Only 21 bodies were recovered following the Morecambe Bay tragedy but police believe 23 people died. A tribute to the Morecambe Bay Chinese cockle pickers and the talent of Christy Moore. VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. Inside this station, the 1945 film "Brief Encounter" is played on a loop daily. "Our thoughts really are of sadness for the families. The creditors have stopped charging interest, but they are a presence that the children cannot ignore. (modern), A woman searching for cockles in Fujiyan. On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. I was just lucky.". The last time a foreigner came to see me, they came knocking immediately after and caused trouble. It is not that I don't want to pay. And the amount that we owe is growing all the time because we cannot pay interest. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Now he had inherited two more and a debt of 150,000 yuan (9,940). The Fujian style of mourning is somewhere between a lament and an undulating, almost melodic wail of misery. They used houses and shops in Shirley in Solihull, and Dudley to run their operation, it said. Freeman, of Wiggington Road in Tamworth, received a four-month jail term suspended for 12 months. The detective who led the investigation into the tragedy said the deaths had "lived with him" ever since. They didn't beat me, not even once.". Sometimes, relatives help out so that her children do not starve. A sculpture of a praying man overlooking Morecambe Bay has been unveiled. "She has lost her mind. [8] A further two cocklers were believed to have been with those drowned, with remains of one being found in 2010. Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, Met Gala 2023: Stars celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, HSBC says 1 bank buyout boosted profit by $1.5bn, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests. "It still makes me sad whenever I come here. Our close friends and relatives understand that we cannot pay, but the others gossip about me.". And on his first day . I wish I could earn something now to ease their burden, but I can't leave my children alone. He said: "I think a lot about those who didn't survive, particularly at Chinese New Year, because it happened around that time. On the evening of February 5, 2004, 23 men and women lost their lives after . "When the GLA was first introduced we were hopeful that it would be extended into other sectors but that's proven not to be the case," he said. That afternoon, she ate with her grandson during his lunch break. Last time I was back there, word quickly got round and before I knew it there were 10 of them pressing me to repay our debts. "People tend to think that slavery is something to do with faraway countries with poor human rights records," he said. Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (David Morris) on securing this timely debate. ", Dependants Wife Chen Jinyun and sons Lin Luan, 19, and Lin Huan, 18 Debt More than 100,000 yuan (6,625) Monthly income 600 yuan (40), Chen Jinyun is on the run. Jeremy Clarkson Jokes About Dead Chinese Cockle-Pickers "My neighbours and relatives help us. "Is that near Morecambe?" The Chinese gangmaster who organised the trip and two associates of his were found guilty of manslaughter, breaking of immigration laws and other crimes, and were sentenced to several years in prison. ", There is little I can say to comfort her. The pair, who operated from houses in the West Midlands, had hidden 22,000 they had made and tried to spend it when they got out of prison. The uncle, who earns 1,500 yuan per month, has repaid 20,000 yuan, but still owes 150,000. "Wait a moment," I interrupt. I just can't. The children couldn't bear to live in their old house, where the pictures of their dead parents hung on the walls. In Britain, the Morecambe Bay disaster is history. Eighteen cockle pickers have died after becoming trapped by rising tides in Lancashire's Morecambe Bay. I thought I might just as well wait to die. Dependant Son Xu Bin, 17 Debt More than 200,000 yuan (13,250) Monthly income 1,200 yuan (80). If we're to learn the lessons of the Morecambe Bay tragedy, we need to invest in improving conditions. But if something goes wrong, there is no bankruptcy law and scarcely any safety net - a poverty alleviation allowance of 3 per month per child is all that local government pays in cases of great hardship. "One women supports two children and me. The van belonging to the group of missing cockle pickers, in a car park on the foreshore of Morecambe Bay near Bolton Le Sands, where many cockle. Winner will be selected at random on 06/01/2023. United Kingdom. Languages. The deaths 10 years ago of 23 Chinese cockle pickers who were searching for a "better life" has had a lasting effect on all those associated with the disaster in Morecambe Bay. Mr Hua said: "It was pitch black and I was desperate. Although this was a made-in-China and consummated-in-Britain tragedy, no one wants to take responsibility for the consequences. [7] Ren, his girlfriend Zhao Xiao Qing and his cousin Lin Mu Yong were also convicted of breaking immigration laws. In almost every home, it would start up almost as soon as I - or any other visitor - entered the house, and continue until we left. I don't know how we can go on. VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. Lawyers in London are pressing a claim for money from Britain's criminal compensation fund, but if a payment comes at all it could take years. She is wearing a white dress and her husband Wu Hongkang is in a western suit. Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, Met Gala 2023: Stars celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, The burden of being cricket legend Tendulkar's son, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, HSBC says 1 bank buyout boosted profit by $1.5bn, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media. I ask. It contains 10 pictures. Most are of her wedding. The focus of the family's concern is on the youngest member. His evidence helped convict Lin Liang Ren of 21 counts of manslaughter, facilitating illegal immigration and perverting the course of justice. "I worry about their future," says the uncle. They cook a little extra and bring some for us. Inside Out talks to Li Hua, the only cockle picker to be rescued alive from the Morecambe Bay cockling tragedy 10 years ago, "But the water was flooding so quickly some were dragged right away under the water.". The workers were all illegal immigrants, mainly from the Fujian province of China, and have been described as being untrained and inexperienced. Apart from the senior hovercraft commander, many of the crew on that particular night on the hovercraft hadn't seen bodies in the water before.". He said he "kept waving" at the helicopter. Bowkett, from Welford Road in Shirley, was given a six-month community work order and issued with a four-month curfew which bans him from leaving his home between 20:00 and 06:00 GMT. The uncle, Chen Minyi, said he could not afford to keep them both, so the son stays with another aunt. All rights reserved. Ten of us used to live here," says Chen. On 5 February, Chinese cockle pickers were at work in the dark but facing the incoming tide. In fact, these migrant workers came to the UK to escape the poverty created by socialism in China and were working under a regime of stateregulated access to the cockle beds. Benson, like many local fishermen, believes it was the negligence not only of the gangmasters but also of the authorities that was responsible for the tragedy: "In the summer of 2003, I rescued 50 to 60 Chinese folk who were stranded while cockling for a gangmaster That should have been a warning." 82 Cockle Pickers Work At Morecambe Bay Premium High Res Photos Since 2006, 201 licences have been revoked, but this is "the tip of an iceberg", he says. Now living under witness protection, he told BBC Inside Out of his "despair" before help arrived. ", At last year's trial in Britain, the boy wrote to the judge. The man and his wife survive on handouts from their three other sons. "So it had a lasting effect on them," he added. The authorities were so pleased with the outcome of Operation Lund (as the case was called) that investigators won last year's top criminal justice award. The media go wild, she says, about the inflow of migrants, but what they should be talking about is migrants' rights. Congleton MP Ann Winterton stunned an audience at a dinner when . "I have no idea how we will get out of this situation," she says. The families' huge debts are now owed to relatives, friends and neighbours. Those who sent them to their deaths have not been punished as much as us." A powerful statue sits on Scalestone Point, looking out over Morecambe Bay.