After 1 year, there are already many fish and birds in the new Hedwige and Prosperpolder nature reserve near Beveren

During the depoldering of the Hedwige and Prosper area, experts said that nature would need 50 years to fully develop. But after just 1 year the results are already impressive. Many birds and fish use the new nature reserve to breed or rest. This is evident from the first fish and bird counts.

The nets contained 15 species of fish, such as bass, bream, pike-perch, flounder, sprat and eel. “Those fish have covered the entire distance from the Zeeschelde to the pumping station, at the most inland point,” says fish biologist Alain Dillen of the Nature and Forests Agency. “This means that in one year many good channels have already been formed, as the fish use them to swim into the area from the Scheldt. These are mainly young fish. This means that the area is ideal for fishing. mate.”

“We also found hundreds of gray shrimps here,” adds Jan Soors of INBO (Institute for Nature and Forest Research). “And also dozens of longnose sturgeon shrimps and other invertebrates such as the sea centipede (a worm), bristle worms, snails, carrion shrimps, insect larvae and amphipods such as sand fleas and mudflat crustaceans. The Hedwige and Prosper area is a rich table for many species, even though the area is still in full development.”