Europe’s 500-year-old seafood tradition
By: Angela Dansby
BBC
February 25, 2021
Keywords: West Flanders, Oostduinkerke, paardenvisser, fishing, trawling, Brabant draft horse, shrimp, sustainable practices, women, tradition, UNESCO-recognized
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20210224-europes-500-year-old-seafood-tradition
Trawling for seafood from horseback is long-standing tradition along the southeast coast of the North Sea. This practice is customarily passed down from father to son, but a representative board of the Association of East Dunkirk Horse Fishers, the Royal Order of Horse Fishers, NAVIGO National Fisheries Museum, and the Koksijde City Council are now allowing women to be officially recognized as horse fishers. Horseback-fishing is more environmentally sustainable than modern commercial beam-trawling. Communities celebrate this tradition in a two-day festival every June, which brings in tourist attention and appreciation for this high-skill custom.
Last updated: July 9, 2021