Fisheries

Once, the Scheldt was an important fishing area, but primarily the decline in water quality and new fishing techniques over the centuries changed this. 

In pre-industrial times, fishing was local and small-scale, using traditional techniques such as nets and rods. With the growth of shipping and industrialization in the 18th and 19th centuries, fishing increased with the introduction of larger ships and more advanced techniques, leading to increased pressure on fish stocks.

After World War II, fish stocks were increasingly overfished due to the expansion of the fishing fleet and more advanced technologies. This eventually led to concerns about the sustainability of fishing. In the 1970s and 1980s, policy measures and regulations were introduced to restore fish stocks and make fishing more sustainable. In the 1990s and 2000s, stricter rules were implemented, such as catch limits and protected areas, and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)  was enforced to manage fishing comprehensively.
 

Today, commercial fishing is limited to a few dozen professional fishermen and primarily to the capture of shrimp, sole, eel, and cockles in the Western Scheldt. On the Sea Scheldt commercial fishing is scarcely done. In the entire estuary, sport fishing is limited, among other things, by heavy shipping traffic and strong currents.

Research and monitoring in Flanders and the Netherlands related to fishing mainly focus on the number of fish species and their population sizes. Additionally, ecotoxicological research and research related to supporting the fishing sector are also conducted.