The famous Fish Doorbell in the Dutch city of Utrecht has been switched off for the season after attracting millions of viewers from around the world.
The underwater livestream allowed people to help migrating fish by pressing a virtual doorbell when they spotted fish waiting at the Weerd Lock.
When enough people rang the bell, lock operators were alerted to open the lock. This helped fish continue their journey to spawning areas. The Fish Doorbell ran from early March until the end of June,
This year, people pressed the digital doorbell more than 220,000 times. The livestream attracted 12 million website visits and nearly 889,000 unique viewers.
The project has also become popular internationally. According to the organisers, the largest number of visitors came from the United States, followed by the Netherlands and Germany.
The Fish Doorbell is a joint project by the Municipality of Utrecht, the regional water authority Hoogheemraadschap De Stichtse Rijnlanden and Dutch Wall Fish founder Mark van Heukelum.
The underwater camera is switched off during the summer because the main fish migration season has ended. It will return on 1 March 2027, when people can once again help fish safely pass through the lock.
The Fish Doorbell was first launched in 2021 and has since become an international example of how simple technology and public participation can help protect freshwater wildlife during migration.
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