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During the first two weeks of July, the Federal Truck, where specialist of various governmental authorities are present to answer your questions, did a tour along the Belgian coast. Missed your chance to visit? No worries, from August 15th you get a new chance. You can meet two of our coast guard partners: Marine Environment Division of FPS Public Health has a campaign about the protection of the North Sea and FPS Mobility and Transport has a campaign on the new rules for watersports.

See here where and when you can visit.

Wednesday August 3rd, the governor of West-Flanders organized an exercise to test the procedure for saving drowning persons along the Belgian coast. It was the second exercise of this summer and it was held off the coast of Oostduinkerke (a sub-municipality of Koksijde). A first exercise took place earlier this summer in De Haan. The same scenario was followed, but contrary to the De Haan exercise, the weather was not as good, which made the operation more challenging.  Everything went smoothly and all the partners concerned, including some of our coast guard partners, got to play a part. In September, a third and last exercise will be held in Knokke. 

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.