Breskens Fisheries Museum

The world of the sea, past and present
West-Zeeuws-Vlaanderen is a typical coastal area with the North Sea in the west and the Scheldt in the north. Both waters have had a lot of influence on the appearance of the land and the lives of the people. At the place where they meet, you will find the Breskens Fisheries Museum. The museum is beautifully situated on the Bresken harbours, above the fish market, with a wide view over the mouth of the Scheldt. Fishermen, the water and the animals in the sea occupy a central place in the museum.

Fishery
First and foremost, the museum tells the fascinating story of Bresken's fishing. It came into existence more than a century ago. At that time, the fishermen were completely dependent on the wind, the water and their own (muscle) power. They and their families led a hard, dangerous and uncertain existence. A major advance was the motorization of the fishing industry after the First World War, which allowed the fishing vessels to sail against the wind. After the Second World War, the fishing industry experienced a golden age thanks to larger fishing vessels and fish detection equipment. At the same time, the risk of overfishing increased and 'free fishing' was introduced. increasingly restricted by law, including fishing quotas. That's why, in the 1980s, fishermen switched from herring fishing to shrimp and flat fishing. The museum illustrates Breske's rich fishing past with ship models, models, photos and an exciting film.

Fossils and marine aquariums
In their nets, the fishermen find not only sea fish, but also, for example, medieval pottery and the remains of animal species that have been extinct for tens of thousands, sometimes even millions, of years. These animals lived at a time when the North Sea did not yet exist. Thanks to donations from fishermen, the museum has an exceptional collection of fossils, such as ammonites, trilobites, many shark teeth and bones of mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses. In addition to old fishermen and fossils, the museum also pays attention to animals, which are still abundant in the North Sea. You can see them up close in a number of marine aquariums. Among other things, groupers, wrasse, dogfish and catsharks, garfish, weever, ray and turbot, sea crabs, lobsters and seahorses swim there.

Visit the Fisheries Museum!
You can see all this (and much more) up close in the museum: the fishermen, the fishing boats, fossils and, above all, the marine aquariums with many species of saltwater fish. To discover the fascinating world of the North Sea, you don't have to follow years of diver training. A visit to the Fisheries Museum is enough. Peeking through the windows is allowed in this case?

Address
Breskens Fisheries Museum
Kaai 1, 4511 RC Breskens, The Netherlands
Phone : +31(0)117 383656
Fax : +31(0)117 386145

Practical information
Open
* Easter to June, September, October: Tuesday to Saturday 10.00-12.30; 13.30-16.30 hrs
Sunday, 2nd Easter Monday, Ascension Day and 2nd Pentecost 14.00-17.00 hrs
* July, August: Monday to Saturday 10:00-17:00, Sunday 14:00-17:00
* November to Easter: Tuesday to Saturday 10.00-12.30
Open for groups all year round by appointment.
Rates
Individual:? 2,50
Children up to 5 years old: free
Children 6-12 years: ? 2,00
Groups of 15 people or more: ? 2,50 p.p. (including guided tour)
Museum Annual Card: N/A
Guided tours: by appointment
Accessible to less mobile visitors : yes

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