Morecambe Bay cockling disaster
| Date | 5 February 2004 |
|---|---|
| Location | Morecambe Bay, England |
| Coordinates | 54°6′25″N 2°49′30″W / 54.10694°N 2.82500°W |
| Outcome | 21 bodies and a skull recovered, 15 survivors |
| Deaths | 23 |
| Convicted | Lin Liang Ren |
On the evening of 5 February 2004, at least 21 Chinese illegal immigrants were drowned by an incoming tide at Morecambe Bay in North West England, while illegally harvesting cockles off the Lancashire coast. Fifteen other labourers from the same group managed to return safely to shore.
During the investigation and trial, it emerged that the labourers were inexperienced, spoke little or no English and were unfamiliar with the area. The Chinese gangmaster who organised the trip and two associates of his were found guilty of manslaughter, of breaking immigration laws and other crimes, and were sentenced to several years in prison. The Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004 was passed in July of the same year to regulate labour practices in the agricultural and shellfish industries.