The Utrechtse Vis Doorbel
From England to Brazil: the Utrechtse Visreurbel at the Weerdsluis has fans worldwide. Every year it seems to be more popular: in 2020, 440,000 people visited the doorbell website, in 2023 just over a million and last year the number grew to 3.4 million.
City ecologist Mark van Heukelum came up with the fish doorbell when he lived next to the Weerdsluis in Utrecht and the fish literally saw waiting for a dense lock. He pointed out the lockkeeper than on the ‘fish file’, after which he could open the lock. That should be easier, Mark thought. And thus the idea of the fish doorbell was born: an underwater camera linked to a website. When digital visitors see fishing for the live stream, they press the digital doorbell. Then the lockkeeper in Utrecht gets a signal and opens the lock.
Every spring, fish go from the Vecht to the Kromme Rijn to lay eggs and reproduce.