Zuiderzee’s Eel Harvest: 1937 in Lush Color!

This captivating colorized footage unveils Dutch fishermen catching eel in the Zuiderzee in 1937—nearly 90 years ago—offering a vibrant glimpse into a fading way of life before the sea’s transformation into the IJsselmeer. Filmed as the Zuiderzee, a saltwater inlet of the North Sea, began its shift to freshwater following the completion of the Afsluitdijk in 1932, the film captures fishermen in traditional boats using fyke nets, traps, and longlines to harvest eel, one of the few species thriving amid the changing salinity. Set against the backdrop of historic fishing villages like Urk, Volendam, and Marken, the footage shows the Zuiderzee’s calm waters, bustling docks, and the fishermen’s daily routines, reflecting a livelihood soon disrupted as saltwater fish like herring and anchovies vanished, leaving only eel, pike, perch, and smelt by the late 1930s. A poignant window into pre-war Dutch maritime culture, this restored archive grips history buffs, marine enthusiasts, and Dutch heritage lovers, offering a vivid glimpse of the Zuiderzee’s final eel harvest frozen in time.