Human development is hard on the environment. Cities block nature’s way—damming rivers, building highways, destroying habitat, and cutting off migration paths. But there’s a lock in Europe where humans can become nature’s unexpected helpers for a few weeks each spring.
The Weerdsluis lock in Utrecht was built to control water levels but became an unintentional blockade. During the spring migration it was trapping fish, preventing them from swimming upstream to do what frisky fish like to do in spring (I leave that to your imagination). While trapped, the fish were vulnerable to predators.
So, some clever ecologists devised a plan, installing a camera beneath the water that streams a live feed to anyone willing to watch. And then, the twist — when a fish appears, waiting for a way through, watchers can press a digital doorbell on their screen, alerting the lock keeper. When enough fish have gathered (do fish gather? Or swarm or shoal?), the keeper opens the gates, and the fish can continue their journey. A reversal of the usual story — technology and human development serving as a bridge, not a barrier.
Utrecht’s fish doorbell opens for several months in early March each year. You, too, can be part of the Bream Team, send some eels to the Sargasso Sea, and support some wayward fish to spawn in a spot of their choice.