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| Nature In the Oosterschelde area many animal and plant species are found. The water
temperature and the salt concentration in the Oosterschelde is high and for some kinds of
fish and plant this is an ideal situation. Not only there is a great variety, there is
also many animals and plants. At some place you can find rare species |
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Fish Some kinds of fish are born in the Oosterschelde and other only grow up in
these waters. Also there are fish who only need the Oosterschelde as a passage on their
way to the great rivers or back to the sea. There are more than 66 species of fish in the
Oosterschelde. |
| Birds Only in the Waddenzee (north of the Netherlands) more species are found. The
Oosterschelde is an ideal environment for many birds: enough food, unpolluted water and
shelter against bad weathers. Therefore many birds use the Oosterschelde-area to stay in
the winter. |
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Mussels and
oysters These two kinds of shellfish are very important for
Zeeland. Not every year there can be fished for these products, it depends on the weather.
The quality of the mussels and oysters is made by several factors. And the Oosterschelde
has an ideal environment. Nowadays this is a modern industry. The small wooden boats from
the past are gone. The mussel season is from July to next spring. The mussel are exported
al over the world especially to Belgium and France. The ultimate mussel-Mekka is the city
Yerseke. This town almost completely depends on the mussel industry. |
| For many years
oysters are raised in the Oosterschelde but during the winter 1962-1963 all the oysters
were frozen and died. This was the end of the oyster industry. Many tried to start all
over again but in 1978 again the oyster were frozen to death and a year later there was a
fatal infection of the young replaced oysters. Nowadays the situation in the Grevelingen
seems to be better for oysters and the first results of an intensive research show the
oyster industry can be started here. |
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