It’s not something we see in the Canadian fisheries industry, but in Belgium, the centuries-old practice of “horseback shrimp fishing” continues – at least for now.
Over five hundred years ago the idea of using a horse to drag a net to capture shrimp was born on the North Sea in Belgium. The method is still used by locals in the town of Oostduinkerke where fisherman train Belgian drafts or Brabants (named after the region where they’re bred and raised) to wade into shallow water. The nets are attached to the horse’s tail, and two baskets are laid across its back for the catch. Then the fisherman mounts up and hopes for a good haul of sweet-and-salty “brown shrimp.”
Back in the day, horseback shrimp fishing was able to sustain a livelihood, but in 2024 the way of life is kept up mainly as a local tourist attraction. As reported in Al Jazeera, the effects of climate change have impacted the shrimp in the area.
According to locals who spoke with the news outlet, in a typical October, which is prime fishing season, the horseback shrimpers venture into the water daily. The catch is around 5-6 kg [11-13 lbs] of shrimp, which the fisherman cooks or sells to friends and family. But years go the catch would be as high as 30 kg [66 lb]. Such a decline has meant that the fishermen, young and old, must take other jobs to support their passion for horses and shrimp fishing.
One fisherman, Gregory Debruyne tells Al Jazeera he bought his mare, a bay Brabant named Kelly, for just over $3,000. But like most of us horse owners, he must make money to keep her healthy and fed. “Through horseback shrimp fishing, I can earn only around 100 euros [$150 CAD] in a day. But I love my horse and this tradition of shrimp fishing. So, I don’t mind also working other jobs to fund my passion for this tradition,” he says.
The tourists appear to love the spectacle of the horses, prompting the local government to now pay the fishermen a small stipend to do it to draw the tourists.
Watch an excellent FEI video of shrimp fishing with horses here:
Climate change has warmed southerly waters and pushed the shrimp’s predators such as codfish north, decreasing shrimp numbers. Industrial fishing has also had a negative impact. The use of horses is far less harmful because they are in shallow water, where waves already impact the habitat, and the local ecosystem is undisturbed by that type of movement.
But these concerns won’t deter the fishermen of Oostduinkerke. “When you are on a horse’s back and head out to fish in the North Sea early in the morning by yourself, all you see in front of you is the mighty blue sea. It is an amazing feeling,” Eddy D’Hulster, who has shrimped on horseback for 56 years, told Al Jazeera. “In 3,000 years, even if there are no shrimp, you will still see the fishers of Oostduinkerke on horseback, fishing, because this is our tradition and will always make us feel like the kings or queens of the world.”