Southern Clams

For Southern Clams, stewardship isn’t just a corporate policy; it’s a deep-rooted ethos that begins in the waters of Blueskin Bay and extends into the heart of the Dunedin community. A first time OFPA entrant in 2026, Southern Clams was awarded a Gold Medal for its Littleneck Clams and praised by the sustainability judges for their efforts.

As a long-standing fixture of the local economy, the company has built its reputation on a foundation of "harvesting to order" using a manual body dredge system.

This labour-intensive choice is a deliberate one, ensuring the process is gentler on the marine environment than mechanical alternatives. By returning juvenile clams and seaweed to the seabed and using GPS mapping to rotate harvest areas, Southern Clams maintains the delicate integrity of the ecosystem, ensuring that some beds have remained healthy and productive for over forty years.

This conservative approach to the wild resource is matched by an ambitious commitment to the climate. Since 2010, the team has rigorously tracked their carbon footprint, slashing gross emissions by nearly half. In a landmark move in late 2025, the company adopted a new climate policy, surrendering carbon credits from their own 92-hectare bio-diverse forest in the Waitaki District to cover emissions dating back to 2011. This has effectively rendered the Southern Clams operation carbon negative. From the 180 solar panels on the factory roof to a repurposed cooling tower from the old Cadbury factory, each mechanical update is designed to minimise impact and maximise efficiency. Even their packaging has evolved, swapping out polystyrene for recyclable cardboard chilltainers.

Beyond the shoreline and the factory floor, Southern Clams is a dedicated to its community. Whether it’s sponsoring school apps and swimming programmes, supporting the Waitati library, or donating monthly to the Dunedin Bowling Club, a community eatery, their reach is wide. They are familiar faces at the Wild Dunedin and Port Chalmers Seafood Festivals, proving their commitment to the region is as much about social connection as it is about business.

Perhaps the truest testament to the company’s culture is found in its people. With a third of the staff remaining with the team for over 15 years, Southern Clams treats employees like family, offering robust support through difficult times and even sponsoring the extracurricular sporting pursuits of staff and their children. Through regular open days and a commitment to total transparency, they remain accountable to their neighbours.