The Mussel Man
About this location
On the Havendijk of Yerseke, overlooking the Eastern Scheldt, stands a bronze statue small in size but telling a great story: the Mosselman (Mussel Man). The figure with his characteristic sou'wester and basket full of mussels symbolises generations of Zeelanders who found their livelihood on and around the water. The statue by artist Lou Boonman was unveiled in 1981 by Princess Juliana at the opening of the Koningin Julianahaven.
Yerseke is inextricably linked to mussel and oyster culture. What began as small-scale fishing grew into an internationally renowned industry. Ships still depart from Yerseke today to the cultivation plots in the Eastern Scheldt and the Wadden Sea.
The Mosselman thus represents more than a profession: he embodies a way of life in which craftsmanship, tradition and the rhythm of the tides come together. A fitting tribute to the culinary heart of Yerseke.
The statue of the Mosselman stands at the end of the Ankerweg.