Agritourism Destination
Groningen
At the heart we are small scale inshore fishermen, fishing on the Dutch Wadden Sea and the adjacent North Sea beaches. The area is a UNESCO world heritage site and a European Natura2000 nature reserve. In the intertidal zones we fish for seabass and grey mullet with gillnets and along the shore we use fyke nets to fish for eel and crab. At low tide we hand pick oysters from wild oyster banks. As well as catching fish, we also buy and sell fish from colleagues who share the philosophy of 'Goede Vissers', an initiative of fishermen towards shorter, transparent trade chains for responsibly caught fish. In the weekends we sell fish at the organic farmers markets in Utrecht and in Amsterdam, and we deliver fresh fish to restaurants that support ‘Goede Vissers’. Every week we deliver fish and oysters to selected traders in Zürich (Switzerland) and Berlin and Bremen (Germany). The third branch is restaurant 't Ailand. This is a small fish restaurant at the harbour of Lauwersoog only open in the weekends. We serve local fish while informing the guests about the fisheries of the region. From 't Ailand we also take civilians out fishing to let them experience our artisanal fishery. We are actively engaged in the world wide Slow Food network and strive to incorporate the principles of good, clean and fair food in all our activities.
Organic methods: Traditional fishing methods, only wild catch
Opening oystes and selling fish at markets and events
Fish smoking, processing, filleting, making sops and bouillions
Certifications: Waddengold certified traditional fisheries. Wid catch!
Type of work: We aim to connect people with the sea by serving fresh regional catch, telling the stories of fishermen, emptying our fuke nets with guests, taking people out to sea, or let them watch wonderful plancton under the microscope.
Our newest project is a traditional fishing boat from 1903, specifically built for the salmon fishery. With that boat we want to tell the story of the river Rhine, migratory fish species and the historical importance of salmon for the ecosystem, as a source of good protein and as part of Dutch culture and economy.
We are also continuously improving our equipment for plancton watching and for fishing with guests. WWOOFers are very welcome to help us realise those improvements.
Internet access available
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Learning opportunities
Aquaculture
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Barbara
Member since 2019
Languages spoken:
Dutch, English, French, German
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Response rate: 94%
Response time: typically within 2 days
Groningen
Our base is Restaurant 't Ailand in Lauwersoog. the nearest train stations are in Groningen and Leeuwarden. From there you can take a bus to Lauwersoog.
Reviews
Ausrine
Netherlands
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February 2026
I had a short but insightful visit with Barbara and Jan. I began by joining them at the market in Amsterdam, where I learned how to shuck oysters. After that, we returned to Lauwersoog, where I spent the rest of my stay. Since it was January and cold, there were not that many things to do, so I spent most of my time reading and talking with Barbara and Jan. I really enjoyed those conversations because they are extremely knowledgeable and generous in sharing their experience and ideas, which encouraged me to reflect many topics. They are deeply passionate about the environment and human impact on it, and because their work is directly connected to it, they were able to share practical examples rather than just abstract concepts. Barbra is an amazing person and professional. I am deeply impressed by her and Jan's work ethic and generosity.
Although the season limited activities, I still had the chance to try some tasks, such as collecting oysters from the bank, stringing fish for hot smoking, and helping with general kitchen work. Overall, I am very grateful for this opportunity and would recommend this destination to others.
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Céleste
France
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September 2025
I am delighted to have discovered the world of fishing. Jan is an incredible person who helped me grow personally through long discussions. I learned a lot during these three months, such as perseverance and resilience. This place requires a certain level of discipline and a strong work ethic, especially in the summer, I think I come away from this experience stronger. I also met people I will never forget.
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Benjamin
United States
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September 2025
Barbara and Jan are very hard workers and incredibly knowledgeable about the environment, food production, fishing, small business logistics etc. I was able to learn a lot and work alongside them through every step. The work can really vary from restaurant service, food prep, market help, and fishing / collecting as well as other assorted tasks. The work can be long as Barbara mentions in the description but they are open communicators. If you’re feeling tired and need a break or day off they are more than willing to accommodate and let you rest, you just need to be mature and able to communicate that. I stayed almost 2 weeks and am satisfied with the experience I had, I can recommend staying here.
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Juliet
Netherlands
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May 2025
Jan and Barbara are both hardworking, honest and caring people. During my stay, not only did I learn about the navigation of a boat on the sea, I really got an insight in what it means to navigate a life with and near the sea, and all the actors that come into play in this area.
Barbara is a lovely warm host and person, who understands that you are there to learn. She is open to answer all your questions, give you guidance if you ask her to, but also gives you the space to figure out things on your own. Her patience is huge, and it made the process of figuring out quite comfortable.
Jan is full of excitement for this lifestyle of fishing and harvesting oysters, and is able to convey this even though it truly is hard work. His way of explaining and creating links between my questions and physical things he could show me are super nice, and really gave a hands-on experience.
The variety in the work is quite nice, and to have an open attitude towards the hard work is key. I’ve really enjoyed my stay with them, as well as the other Wooffers there, who really made it worthwhile. I can’t wait to go back. Thanks a lot!
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Angie
United Kingdom
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January 2025
Barbara is a warm host whose heart is in the right place. I thank her for her hospitality, her patience, for the ride from Amsterdam to Lauwersoog as well as for dropping me off at Heerenveen train station on my way back.
I appear to have learned five main things from this Wwoofing adventure.
• Fishing and harvesting oysters for a living isn’t an easy lifestyle. Barbara and her husband Jan often get up at 3am and usually work really long days, 7 days a week.having
• Smoked-fish pasties are delicious!
• Monkfish is not only humongous and weighs a lot, it also has a very delicate taste that most people won’t associate with fish.
• I am developing more or less chronic respiratory problems that can really rob me of my energy and can also be painful. Specifically, my right lung has a tendency to fill up with mucus. This can impact my breathing, hence my energy levels but that is also because it’s related to inflammation. Barbara had to put up with me only functioning at 50% of my normal physical capacity, at best. Sorry, Barbara. I didn’t see that coming at all. If anything, I figured that the fresh sea air would do me a lot of good. It was probably triggered by that flu virus that was going around.
• As a consequence, I have to admit that Wwoofing in the cold Dutch winter probably is not the most brilliant idea I’ve ever had – lol – but I certainly don’t rule out Wwoofing in balmier environments, with climates a little closer to Florida’s, or in the summer.
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Maruf Ahamed
Portugal
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October 2024
Never seen such hardworking person like Jan and Barbara. They're really master in many skills. Their energy and positivity really inspired me to be an all rounder like them. Very Honest kind and caring person. ⭕ One request to upcoming wwoofers please don't missuse the abundant freedom and trust they give you and maintain positive environment.
Thanks for everything.
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