TransEuropa had run passenger and freight services between Ramsgate and Ostend for the last 15 years.

BBC: TransEuropa Ferries' ferry

Belgian firm TransEuropa suspended all sailings between Ramsgate and Ostend this week amid fears over its future.

BBC: TransEuropa Ferries' ferry

"They are far more vicious than before, " said Sheba Schoos, who runs a fish stall on the Ostend harbor front.

WSJ: Real-Life 'Birds' Remake in Belgium

Most others are concentrated west of the port, in Ostend, he said.

WSJ: Real-Life 'Birds' Remake in Belgium

After a period of study and early work in Brussels, Ensor at the age of 20 retreated to the quiet seaside town of Ostend.

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Residents are out of patience, said Ostend town councilor Martine Lesaffre.

WSJ: Real-Life 'Birds' Remake in Belgium

On the trip back to their hotel, the coach driver unplugged the navigation system and, with the help of a passenger and an atlas, made it back to Ostend.

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The bird scourge hasn't had an economic impact on the Ostend tourist trade yet, which welcomes around 3.4 million day-trippers each year, as well as 500, 000 overnight stays, said Pieter Hens, an official with the town's tourist bureau.

WSJ: Real-Life 'Birds' Remake in Belgium