Many Zeeuwen are employed in the fishing industry. Catches include shrimp and many kinds of fish. Fish are mainly caught in the North Sea, while shrimp are found along the coast, in the Oosterschelde and in the sea inlets. Zeeland is renowed throughout the Netherlands for its excellent fres fish and shell-fish, like mussels, which feature prominently in many local restaurants.
Crustaceans are both farmed and fished. Mussels, oysters and cockles are mostly farmed and fished in the Oosterschelde. Yerseke (Zuid-Beveland) is the centre of the oyster and mussel fisheries. The mussels of Zeeland are worldfamous in Europe. The Belgians and French buy them by the ton.
I think they are the best in the world. They are not big, like the Spanish mussels for example, but the taste is very delicat. We simple cook them ,a few minutes in beer or wine, with some onion and celery. They are ready when the shells are open. Eat them with your fingers and drink some bottles of musselbeer with it. And soon you'll feel so happy that you wanna sing a lovesong for the black gold of Zeeland!