Belgium's traditional horseback fishers see climate change in their nets

Gunther Vanbleu, 49, a Belgian shrimps fisherman with 10 years of experience, rides his carthorse named Martha to haul a net out of the sea to catch shrimps during low tide in the Belgian coastal town of Oostduinkerke, Belgium, on Oct 24, 2023.

The fishermen and women's proximity to the coastal waters has made them front-line witnesses of how climate change is altering the ecosystem of the North Sea. Oceans have absorbed 90 per cent of the global warming that humans have caused in the last few decades, according to NASA. In the North Sea, surface temperatures have increased by around 0.3 degrees Celsius per decade since 1991.

While shrimp populations fluctuate during short-term changes like heatwaves, fishermen and scientists report increases in lesser weever fish and squid, traditionally found further south but which have moved north into Belgium's warming waters. Other species have fared worse. North Sea cod populations have plummeted since the 1980s, which scientists attribute to rising sea temperatures and overfishing.

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Belgium's traditional horseback fishers see climate change in their netsBRUSSELS: On a crisp, wintry day on Belgium's far-western coast, Gunther Vanbleu rides his draft horse down the sandy beach and into the shallow waters.
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