In Belgium, horses pull shrimp nets in tradition unchanged for 600 years

Belgian shrimp fishermen ride their horses in the sea in the coastal town of Oostduinkerke, Belgium July 29, 2019. REUTERS/Yves Herman

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - In the small western Belgian fishing village of Oostduinkerke, fishermen use horses, rather than boats, to go shrimp fishing -- one of the very few places in the world still using a technique dating back to the 15th century.

The method makes use of the horse's strength to pull a fishing net through the shallow waters of Oostduinkerke, a natural habitat to grey shrimp (Crangon crangon), just before and after low tide.