The new museum wants to keep the rich fishing history of our Flemish coast alive with lifelike decors, illustration material and various activity elements.
On entering the museum, you arrive in the free visitor centre where information is provided on Flemish fishing at the beginning of the 21st century and on the witnesses to it that are still present along the coast and the Scheldt. Furthermore, contemporary fisheries are presented on a global, European and Flemish scale. There is also a tourist information office and a heritage shop. The shipboy's workshop at the entrance will actively initiate mainly sea classes into fishing techniques and tradition.
Using contemporary presentation techniques (interactive and audiovisual), the fisherman will take you by the hand through the history of Flemish fishing. You will become acquainted with the living culture of the Flemish fisherman at the West Coast, beach fishing and beachcombing, superstition versus popular belief among fishermen, a fishing family, a historic shipyard, etc.
The coastal fishing vessel OD.1 "Martha" was set up centrally in the new building and serves as a steppingstone for various storylines in the museum. On the lowest level (-1), you can imagine yourself below water level. In the two large seawater aquariums, the main fish in the North Sea are shown to their best advantage. The fishing gear is also on display. All kinds of nets (the plank net, the floating herring net, the poaching net,...) give a clear idea of how the different species of fish were caught. On the ground floor, the Martha is flanked by showcases containing models of the main types of fishing vessels. These models are the work of the model building club "De Dissel". Electronic equipment also found its way to the fishing vessel. You can experiment with Morse signals yourself and send a Morse message to family or friends from the museum.
The third level is where you can admire the vessel with its masts and rigging. It is the story of the preservation, processing, sale and consumption of the catch.
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