EMK Action Group
In collaboration with
Zealand broadcasting
ANNOUNCEMENTS•
Something extraordinary has been happening in Zeeland waters: crayfish have been teeming since October. Cutters from all over the Netherlands now come to Zeeland to fish for the small crustaceans.
The huge quantities of shrimp were first noticed off the coast of South Holland in mid-September. In October, the crayfish moved to the Zeeland Islands. “Fishermen speak of a shrimp explosion that lasts for a remarkably long time. Normally, catches drop again after just under a month, but now the cutters have booked great catch results for more than a month and a half.” , says marine researcher Willem den Heijer a Zealand broadcasting.
It is not entirely clear why there are so many shrimps now. According to Den Heijer, it has nothing to do with climate change. “The North Sea is very dynamic. As a result, some fish species migrate. An explosion is mainly due to a slightly warmer water temperature and more food in the water,” he says. “As the water gets colder, the shrimp move back into deeper water.”
From Wieringen and Stavoren
This weekend alone, twelve cutters from all over Holland landed in the port of Vlissingen. “It has been a long time since large numbers of prawn cutters from the northern provinces fished off the coast of Zeeland and even Belgium,” says Den Heijer. The cutters come from Stellendam, Scheveningen, Wieringen and even from Stavoren in Friesland.
Fishermen catch between 3,000 and 6,000 kilograms of shrimp a week. Those are record catches. And a boost for fishermen, says Den Heijer. “We know that fuel prices have soared. It is therefore good for fishermen to have better catches in recent months.”
Supermarket prices
The question is whether the record catches will also reduce the price of shrimp for the consumer. Den Heijer: “I don’t think you notice it so quickly from the price you pay in the fish shop or supermarket.”
And this while even fishmongers may need a boost. According to the Dutch Seafood Specialists Association, the sector is doing very badly. “A number of seafood specialists have already shut down, but we expect many more fishmongers and seafood stalls to close,” the association said.
The fish specialty shop De Heerlijkheid in Zeist will stop after today. “Ever since we have told our customers, it feels like one’s own funeral. With pain in the heart, we have to stop after 17.5 years,” says owner Genita Wiegmans of RTV Utrecht. The main reasons for the shutdown are high fish purchase prices, high energy prices, but also rising prices for oil and flour (for frying) and packaging materials.
