This stamp issue released on 29th June 2015 is commemorating it native and unique tradition – shrimp fishing on horseback. Combining the power of draft horses with the shrimp fishing industry, this tradition still lives strong in just one Belgian coastal village – Oostduinkerke. Shrimp fishing on horseback is a form of traditional craftsmanship closely connected with nature: good knowledge of the sea, the sand strip and a high level of trust and respect for the horse are essential. Fishing for shrimp with a horse-drawn drag net in the shallow water is only possible on a flat, very gently sloping coastline. This is also the biotope in which the grey shrimp, Crangon crangon, is found in abundance.
In former years the sight of southwester capped fishermen riding on draught horses was commonplace along the shores of Belgium, the Netherlands, north-eastern France and eastern England. Today you will only find a handful of them in one place: Oostduinkerke, one of the most charming beaches on the Belgian coast.
