Oystercatchers depend on cockle and mussel beds for winter food — commercial shellfish harvesting and climate-driven changes to shellfish populations create welfare challenges for this long-lived shorebird.
Oystercatcher welfare is intimately linked to shellfish bed quality and accessibility. Juvenile birds without the learned skill to open mussels rely on cockles and soft-shelled prey. In poor shellfish years, juveniles starve at high rates. Commercial harvesting of cockle beds competes directly with wintering oystercatchers for food. Management of shellfish harvesting with oystercatcher welfare in mind — leaving reserves of adult mussels — is a direct welfare intervention.