You can help alert Utrecht’s lock operator when migrating fish are waiting at the Weerdsluis—by watching an underwater livestream and tapping a button. The Fish Doorbell does not open the lock automatically: it sends a photo and alert to the operator, who decides when to let fish pass. The 2026 season has ended; the official site says the livestream returns March 1, 2027.
What is the Fish Doorbell?
The Fish Doorbell, or Visdeurbel in Dutch, is a free seasonal livestream project at the Weerdsluis, a lock in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Migrating fish traveling through Utrecht’s waterways toward the Kromme Rijn can gather in front of the closed lock. An underwater camera lets people watch from anywhere and notify the lock operator when fish appear.
The project aims to help fish continue their spring migration toward spawning grounds, rather than expend energy waiting at a closed lock. It also makes underwater wildlife and fish species in Utrecht’s waterways visible to the public. The project’s stated partners are the Municipality of Utrecht, Hoogheemraadschap De Stichtse Rijnlanden, and Mark van Heukelum of Dutch Wall Fish.
How can you help fish get through the Utrecht lock?
- Go to the official Fish Doorbell website when the seasonal livestream is active.
- Watch the underwater camera feed at the Weerdsluis.
- When you see a fish, press the digital bell. A photo is taken and sent with the alert to the lock operator.
Your click is a sighting alert, not a remote control. The operator uses the collected alerts to judge when fish are waiting and decide whether to open the lock.
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When does the Fish Doorbell work?
The 2026 season began March 2 and ended July 1, when Utrecht said the migration season had finished and the camera was switched off. The official homepage announces that the Fish Doorbell will return on March 1, 2027.
The project FAQ describes the general viewing period as March through May, possibly extending into June; that seasonal guidance does not override the dates announced for a particular year. It says the lock may be opened a few times a week early in the season, when fewer species are active, and daily as warmer weather brings more fish. From April, the lock also opens in daytime for boats, which gives fish an opportunity to pass as well. These are general mechanics, not a fixed timetable.
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What happened during the 2026 season?
In its 2026 recap, the Municipality of Utrecht reported 220,000 bell rings since the season began on March 2, 12 million website visits, and 889,000 unique viewers. Visits are not the same as unique people. The city said viewers saw 12 fish species; perch were most common, and sightings included a rare thinlip mullet and a possible crucian carp.
Those figures describe the 2026 season only. Separately, the project reported around 2.7 million viewers in 2024; that historical figure is not a 2026 audience total.
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Why does the project matter?
A lock can interrupt a migration route even when fish are already gathered on the other side. The Fish Doorbell makes that otherwise hidden wait visible and gives viewers a way to pass information to the person responsible for operating the lock. It is a modest, human-mediated intervention: the camera helps people spot fish, and the operator—not the website button—controls the lock.
The livestream can also be a quiet way to encounter wildlife. Associated Press quoted Anna Nijs, an ecologist with the Utrecht municipality, describing viewer responses: “We get a lot of fan mail from people who think it’s slow TV and they find it relaxing.”
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