You can press an online 'fish doorbell' to help real fish migrate — and the internet's queueing up

Outlined by quays, wharf cellars, waterside terraces, and cozy waterside cafes, the Dutch city of Utrecht cradles a bountiful network of historic canals. Every spring, these watercourses become witnesses to a breathtaking sight. Hulking schools of fish like perch, white bream, eel, rudd, pike-perch, ide, common roach, bleak, and zander migrate to shallower waters to mate, spawn, and reproduce. However, oftentimes, an obstruction stands in their path. A manually operated lock called the “Weerdsluis,” which separates two waterways, blocks the path of these fish. Thankfully, the Dutch city has figured out a quirky way to unlock their path. WWE wrestler Shiloh Hill (@shiloh_wwe) recently took to Instagram to express his excitement over the return of the “Fish Doorbell” this spring. His video has garnered over 34 million views.

The “Fish Doorbell” is an innovative project led by Dutch authorities, in which an underwater camera stationed near the Weerdsluis lock streams live footage, allowing people to spot the fish waiting to migrate. Viewers who spot a fish can press a digital doorbell to alert the lock operators to open the lock and let the fish pass through the passage. Explaining this, Hill also shared the official project website, “Visdeurbel,” a Dutch word that translates to “Fish Doorbell."

According to BBC Discover Wildlife, the “Fish Doorbell” project was started by ecologists Anne Nijs and Mark van Heukelum. While they were exploring some artworks standing beside the lock, they were astounded to notice swarms of perch in the water below. Smithsonian Magazine explains that when these fish are left waiting near the lock, they become quite vulnerable to attacks by predators like grebes and cormorants. Intrigued and concerned by the state of these fish, Nijs and van Heukelum collaborated with the Utrecht government to churn out this remarkable “virtual doorbell” idea.

“We live in a country that is partly below sea level. And we build a lot of dams and dykes and locks, which is great, because it keeps our feet dry. But at the same time, we create many, many obstacles for fish,” van Heukelum told NPR. The doorbell usually operates between March and late June, the typical season when these fish leave their homes to migrate. Initially, the idea didn’t strike a chord with the locals. But once they realized its significance, they jumped in to support. “Somebody who had been very depressed and anxious reached out to me and said that the fish doorbell was the only thing that… could make her feel calm and distract her from difficult thoughts. It really is so special for people to knowingly watch something with 900 other people around the world at the same time,” Nijs told Scientific American.

Hill remarked that, in his opinion, this is the “best site on the internet.” While browsing the livestream on his own computer and spotting a fish, he exclaimed, “Oh, he’s a monster. Let’s go! Be free, buddy!” He said, "The thrill you get from letting a fish through is unparalleled." According to Hill, “This is the ‘Fish Doorbell season’ again, the most wonderful time of the year.”