A cloud of small bubbles and a fishy gurgle announce the latest arrival at the "fish doorbell" in the Netherlands: a perch, recognisable by its dorsal fin and tiger-striped scales.
As the perch stares at the camera with globulous eye, thousands watching a livestream race to click a button that will open a lock separating the River Vecht from the canals of Utrecht, enabling the fish to glide through.
kAm~A6? 7C@> |2C49 E@ yF?6[ E96 Q7:D9 5@@C36==Q 2==@HD H63 FD6CD 7C@> 2== @G6C E96 H@C=5 E@ 62D6 E96 A2E9 @7 A6C49[ 42E7:D9[ 2?5 66=D \\ 2 <6J ?665 :? E96 }6E96C=2?5D H96C6 >:==:@?D @7 7:D9 7:?5 E96>D6=G6D 3=@4<65 3J =@4<D[ 5J<6D 2?5 AF>A:?8 DE2E:@?D]k^Am
kAmQp ?F>36C @7 DA64:6D @7 7:D9Â >:8C2E6 :? DAC:?8 E@ C6AC@5F46 2?5 E96J 86E DEF4< 2E 2== E96 @3DE24=6D[Q D2:5 p??6 }:;D[ H9@ @A6C2E6D E96 5@@C36== 2=@?8 H:E9 E96 &EC649E 2FE9@C:E:6D]k^Am
kAm%96 BF:C<J Q7:D9 5@@C36==Q 92D D9@E E@ 72>6[ 6G6? 36:?8 762EFC65 @? E96 &$ E2=< D9@H Q{2DE (66< %@?:89EQ[ H:E9 4@>65:2? y@9? ~=:G6C DA6?5:?8 2 7F== `_ >:?FE6D 6IA=2:?:?8 :E]k^Am
kAm}:;D[ ce[ E@=5 pu! E92E E96C6 H2D 2 D6C:@FD D:56 E@ E96 5@@C36==[ C2:D:?8 2H2C6?6DD @7 E96 >2?\>256 @3DE24=6D 7:D9 2?5 @E96C 2BF2E:4 2?:>2=D 92G6 E@ 7246 @? E96:C =:76 ;@FC?6J]k^Am
kAmq67@C6 E96 5@@C36== H2D D6E FA :? a_a`[ 7:D9 H@F=5 D@>6E:>6D H2:E 7@C H66<D 367@C6 A2DD:?8 E9C@F89 E96 =@4<[ H9:49 :D 4=@D65 7@C >F49 @7 E96 E:>6]k^Am
kAmpD H6== 2D =@D:?8 G2=F23=6 C6AC@5F4E:@? E:>6[ E96 H2:E >256 E96> GF=?6C23=6 E@ AC652E@CD 3@E9 7C@> E96 H2E6C 2?5 E96 2:C[ }:;D 6IA=2:?65]k^Am
kAm}@H[ 6G6CJ 4=:4< D6?5D 2 D4C66?D9@E E@ 96C 2?5 96C E62>[ H9@ 564:56 H96? 2 4C:E:42= >2DD :D C624965 E@ 2D< E96 =@4<\<66A6C E@ @A6? E96 5@@CD]k^Am
kAmQ$@>6E:>6D b__ A6@A=6 C:?8 E96 36== 7@C @?6 7:D9]]] :E E2<6D FA 2 3:E @7 E:>6 3FE :EVD @?6 3:8 A@D:E:G6 AC@;64E[Q D96 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmQ{@ED @7 A6@A=6 D2J E92E :EVD <:?5 @7 D=@H %' E@ E96>[ W:E 96=AD E96> E@X 42=> 5@H?[Q D96 25565]k^Am
k9am\ Vx?=2?5 H2E6CDV \k^9am
kAms6DA:E6 :ED A@AF=2C:EJ[ E96 7:D9 5@@C36== :D ;FDE 2 5C@A :? E96 @462?]k^Am
kAm%96 sFE49 2C6 H@C=5\72>@FD 7@C 4C62E:?8 2? :?EC:42E6 DJDE6> @7 7=@@5 5676?46D 2?5 5J<6D E@ D9:6=5 E96 =@H =J:?8 4@F?ECJ 7C@> C:D:?8 D62 =6G6=D]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@3=6> :D E92E E96D6 32CC:6CD 2=D@ 3=@4< 2BF2E:4 =:76[ AC6G6?E:?8 D6G6C2= DA64:6D 7C@> E96:C ?2EFC2= >:8C2E@CJ A2E9 @C C6249:?8 4@@=6C H2E6CD]k^Am
kAm{:<6 E96 7:D9 5@@C36==[ D@>6E:>6D 9F>2? :?E6CG6?E:@? :D E96 @?=J D@=FE:@?]k^Am
kAmu@C `a J62CD[ E96 sFE49 u@F?52E:@? 7@C p $FDE2:?23=6 t6= $64E@C Ws&!p}X 92D @C82?:D65 E96 EC2?DA@CE @7 >:==:@?D @7 tFC@A62? 66= 7CJ :?E@ sFE49 H2E6CD]k^Am
kAmQ%96J 2C6 4@>:?8 96C6[ 3FE E96J 42??@E 86E :?E@ E96 :?=2?5 H2E6CD H96C6 E96J 8C@H[Q D2:5 |28?FD G2? 56C |66C 7C@> s&!p}]k^Am
kAmp7E6C HC:88=:?8 24C@DD E96 pE=2?E:4 ~462? 7C@> E96:C 3:CE9A=246 :? E96 $2C82DD@ $62 @77 E96 62DE 4@2DE @7 E96 &$[ E96 8=2DD 66=D 2CC:G6 :? E96 4@@=6C H2E6CD @7 tFC@A6]k^Am
kAm|2?J E9C:G6 :? !@CEF8F6D6 @C uC6?49 H2E6CD[ 3FE E9@FD2?5D 7:?5 E96>D6=G6D DEF4< ECJ:?8 E@ 86E :?E@ E96 }6E96C=2?5D]k^Am
kAm$@ s&!p} EC2?DA@CED E9C66 >:==:@? 66=D 2??F2==J 7C@> uC2?46 \\ H96C6 E96J E9C:G6 \\ E@ C632=2?46 E96 sFE49 A@AF=2E:@?]k^Am
kAmQ~7 4@FCD6 E96C6 D9@F=5 36 2?@E96C D@=FE:@?] xE H@F=5 36 ?:46 E@ @776C E96 66= E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ ;FDE 4@>6 ?2EFC2==J :?D:56 E96 sFE49 H2E6CD[Q E96 f_\J62C\@=5 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmqFE 2D =@?8 2D H2E6C =6G6=D 2C6 9:89[ E96 sFE49 ?665 E96:C 5676?46D[ >62?:?8 QE92E D@=FE:@? H:== ?@E 36 2G2:=23=6 :? E96 ?62C 7FEFC6[Q 96 25565]Â k^Am
kAm|2?J @7 E96 66=D H:== 8C@H E@ 25F=E9@@5[ 36 7:D965 2?5 6G6?EF2==J 62E6?] ~E96CD 9@H6G6C 2C6 C6=62D65 324< :?E@ E96 D62 E@ 4@?E:?F6 E96 >:8C2E@CJ 4J4=6]k^Am
kAm$@>6 >:89E 6G6? >2<6 :E E@ &EC649E 2?5 2 H6342> H96C6 7C@> 72C 2H2J[ E96 =@4< :D >28:42==J @A6?65 7@C E96>]k^Am
kAmD9^C:4k^Am
