GIFS activity 1.2: Case study Nieuwpoort (Belgium) fisheries embedded in local tourism policy

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Overview and Background

The Belgian coast is 67 km long and is entirely bordering the province of West-Flanders (region of Flanders, Belgium). The Belgian part of the North Sea is 3,457 km2 (0.5% of the North Sea area), of which more than 1/3 or 1,430 km² are territorial sea within 12 nautical miles distance of the coastline. Belgium currently has 10 coastal municipalities and 4 coastal ports (Nieuwpoort, Oostende, Zeebrugge and Blankenberge), and besides the fish auctions located in Oostende, Zeebrugge and Nieuwpoort where fish is sold according to legal procedures, there are no other dispersed landing points. Although historically the port and auction of Oostende was by far the most important, today the auctions of Zeebrugge (53%) and Oostende (45%) receive the largest share of the landings of Belgian fisheries in Belgian ports.

Belgium has a minor role in the European fisheries context with 0.35% of the total EU production of fish. In 2012, the Belgian commercial sea fishing fleet counted 86 ships, with a total engine capacity of 49,135 kW and gross tonnage of 15,326 GT [1]. 45 vessels are part of the Small Fleet Segment (max 221 kW engine power) of which 2 use passive gear. The remaining 41 vessels belong to the Large Fleet Segment and have an engine power between 221 kW and a maximum of 1,200 kW. This fleet segment represents approximately 80% of the engine power capacity and 77% of the GT of the fleet. While a smaller number use trammel nets (passive gear) and otter trawl, the largest share of the Large Fleet Segment are beam trawl vessels (≥662 kW). The Belgian fleet is highly specialized: more than 68% of the effort(days at sea) and 77% of total landings are achieved by beam trawlers(2010)focusing primarily on flatfish species such as plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) and sole (Solea solea). The results of the reconstruction of the Belgian fleet dynamics since 1830 are presented in Lescrauwaet et al. 2013[2].

The number of days at sea per vessel is fixed at a maximum of 265 per year and in 2011 the entire fleet realized a fishing effort of 15,855 days at sea. In 2011, the Belgian fleet landed a total of 20,138t, of which 16,905t were landed in Belgian ports. Plaice is the most important species in terms of landed weight. The landings of 2011 represented a value of €76.3 million, 14% of which was marketed in foreign ports. Sole generates 47% of the current total value of fisheries in Belgium. The Belgian sea fisheries represent 0.04% of the national Gross Domestic Product [3]. The main fishing grounds in terms of volume of landings in 2010 were in descending order: North Sea South (IVc), Eastern English Channel (VIId), North Sea Central (IVb), Southeast Ireland/Celtic Sea (VIIg) Bristol Channel (VIIf) and Irish Sea (VIIa).

In terms of direct employment, 439 fishers are registered of which approximately 350 are of Belgian nationality. Direct employment in fisheries represent approximately 0.5% of the total employment in the Belgian coastal zone. Another 1040 persons work in the fish processing industry and another 5000 persons in associated trade and services [1]. A historical overview of Belgian sea fisheries is available from [4] and [2].

The Belgian sea fishery sector is rather small compared to that of neighbouring countries in the North Sea and has been gradually losing importance since the Second World War (see overview and background for more detailed information). It is also gradually losing importance relative to the booming tourism industry in the Belgian coastal zone. However fisheries can be an added value to the tourism experience at the coast by developing fisheries-related tourism activities [5]. The present case study of Nieuwpoort (Belgium) analyzes how fisheries is embedded in tourism policy of the municipality.

Geographical location

Nieuwpoort (51°7′N, 2°45′E) is a town situated at the western part of the Belgian Coast. It was given city rights in 1163 and has a population of 11.000 people. The port of Nieuwpoort is the only natural harbour of the Flemish/Belgian coast and is located at the mouth of the IJzer river. Nieuwpoort has a rich history in fisheries [6]. In 2013 a total of 9 fishings vessels are registered in the port of Nieuwpoort from which 8 are defined as inshore fishing vessels: the N.58 Pelorus Jack, N.86 Rudy, N.34 L'Etaplois, N.93 Aalschover, N.32 Jolly Jumper, N.57 Spes-Nova, N.79 Warrior, N.350 Ingrid[7]. The Belgian definition of inshore fisheries ('kustvisserij') refers to vessels with an engine power of 221 kW or less (this includes any additional installed power) and a tonnage of no more than 70 GT, that make trips with a maximum period determined by the Minister (today being 48 hours) with start and end in a Belgian port. Moreover, vessels with engine power >221 kW are not allowed to fish within the 12nm which is reserved for the inshore fisheries or Small Fleet Segment (Ministerial Decree of December 16, 2005)

Figure 2: N.93 Aalschover
Figure 3: N.34 L'Etaplois

Governance, organisations and their objectives

In Belgium, Flanders has the exclusive jurisdiction over the Belgian sea fisheries sector which consists of recreational and commercial fisheries. The regulations for recreational fisheries are addressed in the Royal Decree of August 14, 1989 and the Ministerial Decree of December 21, 2012. In case of commercial fisheries, the policy is outlined by the Flemish Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries [8]. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is responsible for the preparation of the policy on European and Flemish level. Within this department, the section of Agriculture and Fisheries has a broader mission; it is responsible for the implementation of the European policy, the formulation of policy proposals, the development of regulations, as well as for the execution of the fisheries policy. This concerns the implementation of the European (European Fisheries Fund, EFF) and Flemish (Financial Instrument for the Flemish Fisheries and aquaculture, FIVA) policy for investments and actions in support of fisheries.

The Sea fisheries service is part of this department and is tasked with the implementation, coordination and fishery policy control. Next to that fishery policy is supported by the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO) and Flanders' Agricultural Marketing Board (VLAM). The Strategic Advisory Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (SALV) advises the Flemish Government and the Flemish Parliament on policies and draft regulations relating to all economic, ecological, social and societal aspects of the (agricultural and) fisheries policy. The Technical Fisheries Working Committee of SALV prepares the advice. The Environment and Nature Council of Flanders (Minaraad) also provides advice to a number of fisheries-related cases. The redercentrale (Shipowners' Federation) is recognized as the producer organization in the fishery sector and as a professional association representing the employers. Furthermore, the Foundation for Sustainable Fisheries Development (SDVO) intended to guide and support the Belgian sea fisheries cluster in all areas that contribute to the sustainability of fisheries. Both the Rederscentrale (Shipowners' Federation) as SDVO are represented in the Regional Advisory Councils (RACs). Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs) are funded by the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) with Axis 4 funds (a program that supports the sustainable development of fisheries areas) in order to support a range of projects proposed and carried out by a wide variety of local stakeholders. In Belgium, the FLAG, also called the local group, ‘Plaatselijke Groep Belgisch Zeevisserijgebied’, is a partnership between socio-economic stakeholders in the fisheries sector, NGOs and public authorities that play a crucial role in the implementation of the proposed development strategy. The lead partner of the Belgian FLAG is the Province of West Flanders. The main focus of the FLAG strategy is to add value to local fisheries products and increase local consumption. Belgian landings represent only 10% of fisheries products consumed in Belgium, leaving the remaining 90% to be met by imports. Therefore there is a considerable potential for discovering and developing local markets. It will also support diversification, innovation, the involvement of women and efforts to promote the sustainable management of the marine environment. (Source: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/cms/farnet/flagsheet/flag-factsheet-belgium-west-flanders) In the Belgian territorial sea (between 0 and 12 nautical miles), fisheries is regulated by the law of 19 August 1891. In this law, fishing vessels between 0 and 12 nm may not exceed the limit of 221 kW and between 0 and 3nm, fishing vessels may not exceed the limit of 70 GT. However in the Draft Royal Decree establishing the marine spatial plan, the zone of 3nm is expanded to 4.5 nm (Anon. 2013). The prohibition of fishing vessels of >70 GT in the 4.5 nm area is seen as an opportunity for inshore fisheries (Vandelanotte 2013). In the Belgian part of the North Sea, recreational fisheries mainly consists of sea anglers (about 2000 recreational sea fishers are members of the ‘Vlaamse Vereniging van Hengelsportverbonden’) and shrimp and flatfish fishery with small trawls. Recreational fishing from the beach are fixed nets and line fishermen active on the beach or from groins and seawalls (Roegiers 2013). With the exception of the fixed net fishing, the fishing activities in the Belgian waters do not require authorization and therefore little is known about the extent of this fishery sector (Goffin et al. 2007). Moreover, the impact of recreational fisheries has not been studied in detail. According to an estimation in a pilot study commissioned by the Dienst Zeevisserij (ILVO-Fisheries 2007), the cod catches by recreational fisheries are at least of the same order of magnitude as the catches by commercial fisheries. Also the impact of the fleet of recreational fishermen using beam trawl (<3m wide) for shrimp and flatfish fisheries is not yet mapped. In Oostduinkerke the shrimp nets are towed by horses. There are twelve horseback shrimp fishermen and two ‘kruiersverenigingen’ active in Oostduinkerke which both have an important folkloric value (Source: http://www.paardevissers.be/ , Provincie West-Vlaanderen 2008).

Recently Lescrauwaet et al. 2013 revealed the unreported and misreported landings of the commercial fleet, unreported landings by the recreational and artisanal/subsistence fisheries and by estimating discards for the most important fisheries in Belgium in a Fisheries Research publication (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165783613001483).
  1. 1.0 1.1 Roegiers, B.; Platteau, J.; Van Bogaert, T.; Van Gijseghem, D.; Bekaert, K.; De Bruyne, S.; Delbare, D.; Depestele, J.; Lescrauwaet, A.-K.; Moreau, K.; Polet, H.; Robbens, J.; Vandamme, S.; Van Hoey, G.; Verschueren, B. (2013). VIRA Visserijrapport 2012 Departement Landbouw en Visserij: Brussel. 98 pp.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lescrauwaet, A.-K. (2013). Belgian fisheries: ten decades, seven seas, forty species: Historical time-series to reconstruct landings, catches, fleet and fishing areas from 1900. PhD Thesis. Ghent University (UGent): Gent. xiii, 242 pp.
  3. Anon. (2008). Strategische Milieubeoordeling van het Nationaal Operationeel Plan voor de Belgische visserijsector, 2007 - 2013. ILVO Visserij: Oostende. 103 pp.
  4. Lescrauwaet, A.-K.; Debergh, H.; Vincx, M.; Mees, J. (2010). Fishing in the past: Historical data on sea fisheries landings in Belgium. Mar. Policy 34(6): 1279-1289. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2010.05.006
  5. Anon. (2011). Europees Visserijfonds (EVF). AS 4: ontwikkelingsstrategie voor het Belgisch kustgebied. Europees Visserijfonds: [s.l.]. 33 pp.
  6. Beun, J. (2011). Nieuwpoort die "Goldene Stadt". Published by the author(s): Nieuwpoort. 24 pp.
  7. Anon. (2013 b). Officiële lijst van de Belgische vissersvaartuigen = Liste officielle des navires de pêche belges. Toestand op 31 December 2012. Officiële lijst van de Belgische vissersvaartuigen = Liste officièlle des navires de pêche belges. Federale Overheidsdienst Mobiliteit en Vervoer: Brussel. 28 pp.
  8. Peeters, K. (2009). Beleidsnota Landbouw, Visserij en Plattelandsbeleid 2009-2014 Vlaamse Overheid [s.l.]. 64 pp.