Scheveningen plans to memorialize its lost fishers

SCHEVENINGEN – People in every coastal village with an economy that relies on fisheries know that being a fisher can be a very dangerous job. In 1968, for example, the town of Urk, erected the statue of a woman looking out over the harbour straining to see if the familiar vessel carrying her husband and boys can be seen approaching home yet. Nearby on a wall 368 names are listed of men (and some children) who never returned home. A 2007 monument at Paesens-Moddergat reminds villagers of the great tragedy that struck when 87 men perished in the storm of March 5, 1883. Scheveningen, which thrived on fishery as well, lost 1,000 men at sea over the span of two centuries. A committee recently received a grant of 5,000 euros to incorporate itself so that it can start planning for the village’s own memorial.