News

There is no need to be afraid of the jellyfish you will find along our coast. Most of these are not dangerous.

Four types can be spotted regularly along our coast:
Moon jellyfish: has a white pattern on its hood in the shape of four little 'ears'. This jellyfish does not cause skin irritations. Appears during spring and early summer.
Blue jellyfish: typically found during spring. This type of jellyfish can sting.
Compass jellyfish: Most common jellyfish in summer. Has a brown, compass-like pattern and long tentacles. Is likely to cause severe skin irritation.
Barrel or rootmouth jellyfish: large, blue jellyfish which appears during late summer and autumn. This jellyfish does not have tentacles and will not cause skin irritations.

The Lion's mane jellyfish also used to visit our coast during summer. They can measure up to half a metre. Usually this jellyfish is yellow, but red-coloured species also exist. These jellyfish can cause nasty stings. It has been a few years since they were last seen on our coast.

The word 'jellyfish' is a misnomer, since jellyfish are not actually fish, but plankton. They cannot swim, they float along with the tides and the wind, sometimes washing ashore. Jellyfish feed off little fish and planktonlike animals which end up between their tentacles.

Jellyfish are composed of more than 95% water with a membrane around it. That's where the name 'jelly'fish comes from. They have a sort of 'hood' with tentacles attached to it. Under the hood is a cavity serving both as mouth and stomach.

There is still a lot to learn about these animals. Scientist carry out research into the biology of jellyfish and try to scientifically forecast strandings. You can help them by reporting information on observations of jellyfish along the Belgian coast. Send your message to kwal@natuurwetenschappen.be (limited number) or mrcc@mrcc.be (massive number). 

Read more on being stung by a jellyfish

Thanks to: Francis Kerckhof, RBIN/OD Nature

No, that is forbidden. The Flemish government decided on March 13th 2015 that it is no longer admitted to fish making use of gill or tangle nets for recreational fishing along the whole of the Belgian coast. 

Gill nets are long panels of netting that can be set at any depth in the sea. They can measure up to a few dozens of metres in length and consist of strong nylon fibres in which fish become entangled as they swim into the net. However, frequently porpoises also get entangled in such nets. When trapped, they can no longer come up for air and drown. 

That is why in certain coastal municipalities a prohibition on gill nets was already in place. However, not everywhere the same rules applied, which could cause some confusion. Now it is forbidden to use gillnets all along the Belgian coast. Sports fishermen can still use fyke nets, trawls or flat nets.

From May 26th until May 29th Ostend at Anchor is back in town. This year's theme is the fishery folklore. Next to the 160 participating vessels, the exhibitions and music performances, you can also meet a number of our coast guard partners: the agency for Maritime Services and Coast (MDK) and Customs and Excise.  

More information: www.oostendevooranker.be and www.agentschapmdk.be

This year 750 000 wristbands with Piet Piraat and Maya the Bee are available. On the beach you can get the wristbands from the lifesavers and there is always a bag with wristbands to be found at the bottom of the lifesavers' chair. You can also get the wristbands at the tourism offices, the first aid posts or the newspaper shops along the coast. Fill in the name of your child, the location and your mobile phone number, so lost children can be reunited quickly with their parents.

www.redderaanzee.be