Tourists visit the oyster pits, harbors and museum of the town and fishing industry, as well as the annual celebration of the mussel harvest (Mosseldag) in August.

However, the first historical mention of Yerseke most likely dates to a deed, or charter, issued on January 24, 966 CE under the name of 'Gersika' by the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I (the Great).

Agriculture remained the primary activity of the town until the 16th century, when the Saint Felix flood inundated large parts of land around the now lost trading city of Reimerswaal to the east.

[5] While initially the economy of Yerseke remained little changed, fishing and aquaculture rapidly acquired greater importance, along with a concurrent population increase, beginning in the 19th century.

French naval bombardment from the Western Scheldt of German positions along the defensive line and Canal through Zuid-Beveland resulted in severe damage to the town.

[7] The locality is well known in the region and farther afield, especially in Belgium, for its aquaculture and fishing industry: particularly for the cultivation from the Eastern Scheldt of mussels, oysters, periwinkles, and lobster.

For this purpose, parcels within the Eastern Scheldt were leased out by the government for farming, while pits outside the dikes employing roof tiles were constructed to cultivate oyster larvae.

[8] During the 20th century, further setbacks in the form of harsh winters, especially in 1963, and the threatened closing of the Eastern Scheldt by a dam almost led to the collapse of the oyster industry.

The original harbor of Yersekendam, initially a loading dock for agricultural products bound for the island of Tholen, was expanded to accommodate fishing boats.

[10] A much larger harbour, named after then Queen Juliana and opened in 1981, is deep enough to accommodate the largest and most modern vessels, and also boasts a dry dock for maintenance.

This engineering work served to (partially) protect the ecology of the estuary and with it the vital fishing industry of the town that depends on regular tidal movements.

[11] During the third Saturday of August every year, the village celebrates the official start of the mussel harvest with the annual Mosseldag, although these days the season tends to begin earlier.

CEME conducts research in estuaries and coastal waters in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Polar Regions, as well as participating in several deep-sea projects.

This natural area is a former salt-water tidal marsh, separated by dikes from the sea around 1200 CE by monks for the purposes of farming and peat extraction, which boasted a high salt content (a lucrative commodity in the Middle Ages).

Extraction has since formed the characteristic landscape today: rich, low-lying meadows atop a thick peat layer are interspersed by sandy creek ridges along which roads and paths have developed over the centuries.

[16] On May 16, 1940, during the Battle of Zeeland, naval bombardment severely damaged the church: the bell tower and roof both collapsed, while fire gutted the interior, destroying the stained-glass windows and organ in the process.