There is a lot I don’t like about and in my country, and today is an all time low, but we are not going to talk about politics.
This (old news for me but with a new highlight) makes me very happy that there are people who make this possible and that so many people worldwide can enjoy it… So simple. So good.
The fish doorbell at the Weerdsluis in Utrecht was pressed much more often last spring than in previous years. People in the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil in particular were fascinated by the images from the underwater camera and rang the bell.
The digital bell was pressed 150,000 times. That is 45,000 times more often than in 2023. The lock keeper always opened the lock when there were enough fish waiting. A total of twenty million people watched the images, compared to 8.2 million last year.
The doorbell is on during the fish migration season, when thousands of fish pass through the lock to swim to the Kromme Rijn and Germany to reproduce. On visdeurbel.nl people can view the lock via an underwater camera. If they see fish, viewers can ring the bell online. The lock keeper then receives a signal and opens the lock when there are enough fish.
The interactive doorbell attracted international attention and was featured on television programs in South Africa, New Zealand and Serbia, among others. Research is being carried out in various places to see whether such a fish doorbell can also be used there.
Bass, bream and roach in particular passed through the lock, but this spring there were also many more eels and carp. A few times a catfish called at the doorbell and once there was a tench, a carp-like fish.
The camera of the municipality of Utrecht and the De Stichtse Rijnlanden water board will be switched on again in March next year to help migrating fish.
Greetings