The renowned Zeeland oysters

Pols-Bom, a certified organic oyster cultivation company operating in Zeeland, in The Netherlands has been using Ecospeed for long-lasting, non-toxic protection of the cargo hold of their cutter, YE 48 Op Hoop van Zegen. The coating has held up extremely well for 15 years without need of repainting, requiring only minor touch-ups every few years.

Founded in 1870, Pols-Bom is based in Yerseke in the southwest of The Netherlands, along with some 15 other oyster farmers. Pols-Bom was one of the first to lease oyster fields in the Eastern Scheldt (Oosterschelde) and in Lake Grevelingen. The trade has been passed down from generation to generation since the company was founded. Oyster cultivation is a highly skilled activity and the experience and knowledge built up within the Pols family over the generations makes it possible for the company to delivery a very superior product today. Mr. Jacques Pols,  the current director of Pols-Bom, is the fifth generation to carry on the family tradition.

Certified 100% organic 

A key distinction of Pols-Bom is that their oysters are certified 100% organic by Skal who monitor organic products in The Netherlands, from cultivation through processing. The company goes to great lengths not only to ensure that the oysters they bring to market are of the highest quality, but also that they carry out their cultivating and processing activities with maximum care for and minimum impact on the environment.

Two types of oysters are cultivated in Zeeland: the Zeeland flat oyster and the larger creuse or Pacific oyster. The flat oysters, which are native to the area, are smaller and have a higher value. These Zeeland flat oysters are mostly cultivated in Grevelingen.

The YE 48 Op Hoop van Zegen

Key to the Pols-Bom oyster cultivation activities is their oyster cutter, YE 48 Op Hoop van Zegen which is used to transport and harvest the oysters. And central to this oyster cutter is the hold where the oysters are deposited and kept. The lower part of the hold is unpainted stainless steel. The upper part of the hold is steel and needs to be protected from corrosion and from the abrasion of tons and tons of oysters being loaded and unloaded.

Ecospeed – ideal protection for the hold

In 2007, Ecospeed was recommended to Mr. Jacques Pols as the ideal coating for the upper part of the YE 48’s hold. Ecospeed was applied in two coats to a dry film thickness (DFT) of 1000 µm or 40 mils. The boat has been in constant use since then and the original coating has not needed to be replaced. In 2013 and again in 2022, Mr. Pols ordered very small quantities of Ecospeed to touch up areas where there was some mechanical damage, but otherwise the coating is protecting the steel as well as it was when first applied. It is in extraordinarily good condition, as shown below. “I am a very happy customer,” says Mr. Pols.

From a protection point of view, Ecospeed is second to none. Although it is best known as a hard, non-toxic exterior hull coating, it also has DNV’s highest classification for protecting the inside of tanks, and can also be applied on holds and even decks. In this case, it proved to be the perfect coating for the part of the hold that is not stainless steel, providing permanent protection without risk of contaminating the oysters.   

The 100% non-toxic nature of Ecospeed is an important additional benefit. The oysters are in contact with the coating on the sides of the hold so that if it had any toxicity, it could negate the 100% organic certification.