HORSEBACK FISHING ALIVE IN BELGIUM

A fisherman on horseback drags his net in the sea to catch grey shrimp in Oostduinkerke in Belgium in October.

- TEXT AND PHOTOS: AFP

The coastal tradition of fishing by horseback has gradually disappeared throughout Europe, but has survived in Oostduinkerke, where it is listed as Unesco's intangible cultural heritage.

Panniers strapped to their haunches, a team of horses waded collar-deep through North Sea waters - hauling wide nets along the Belgian coast as cawing seagulls swirled all around. In the saddle, clad head to toe in yellow oilskins, riders steered them parallel with the beach in Oostduinkerke - the last place on Earth, they say, where the tradition of shrimp-fishing on horseback lives on.

Once practised throughout Europe, the custom has all but died out. But a community of enthusiasts has kept the flame going in this coastal town, earning a spot on Unesco's intangible heritage list.

They do not fish for profit, but the rare spectacle they offer has become a tourist draw for the small town, situated half an hour from the French border.