It took a lot of patience, but after three years, Flora and Fisheries Days will finally be back in Den Oever in a week and a half. Corona has put a stop to it for the past two years. The program is as usual and even largely as it would be in 2020. Only fewer boats participate in the traditional fleet review. That’s because there are fewer fishermen.
“There are five, six fewer than with the last fleet review in 2019,” says Arnoud Vooijs of the organization of the Flora and Fisheries Days. “And that’s not because people no longer want to participate. The companies are simply no longer there. That is not only because of the problems in the fishing industry, but also because fishermen are retiring, for example.”
The problems that fishermen are currently dealing with are diverse: the ban on pulse fishing, Brexit, closed fishing areas, wind areas, higher fuel prices and the government’s nitrogen plans. NH News spent last month extensive attention to the subject by making stories from the harbor of Den Oever for several days. Yet the organization of the Flora and Fisheries Days does not intend to expose the problems. “Maybe the fleet itself will do that, but we’re not hearing about that.”
Enthusiasm
This year’s program in the port area is largely the same as that of the canceled edition in 2020, including a funfair, markets, performances and a fleet review. “We notice that there is a lot of enthusiasm that it can finally continue again. People are ready to celebrate another party at the port.”
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Corona did cause nerves at the organization. Nothing went ahead in 2020 and the organization did not dare to take it last year either. “We were unable to comply with the rules and in the end all events were cancelled,” said Vooijs. “But we need a year of preparation. So you think: what if something happens again. You don’t want to run the risk of not being able to organize an event after all. Companies have become a lot less eager to give money back. when canceling an event.”
Visitors
The organization need not be afraid of this now. Corona measures do not seem to be coming in the short term this time. It is difficult to say how many visitors are expected, according to Vooijs. “We are a free-flow outdoor event. But on busy days, about 5,000 to 6,000 people a day come to watch the fishing days.”
The Flora and Fisheries Days are from 26 to 29 August. The entire program can be found online at the website or in the magazine that has been distributed. The fleet review is on Monday.
This is how it went in 2018, during the penultimate Flora and Fisheries Days: