Dem
47
GOP
53
This is an entirely minor thing, and yet it's an example of the good that government can do with a little creativity and a little support from the general public. Such examples are useful to keep in mind these days, given the philosophy currently in vogue in Washington.
The story begins with a moat (Stadsbuitengracht) in Utrecht that is connected to a river (the Vecht) by a 95-meter lock called the Weerdsluis. The lock has been around, in some form, for more than 700 years, and has existed in its current form for more than 200 years. In fact, it is now a national monument. Clearly, the setup works pretty well for humans.
What it doesn't work so well for is the fish who swim upstream to spawn. While it is true that the lock opens and closes occasionally, it's not especially frequent, especially at this time of year. So, there was a problem with large numbers of fish congregating at the entryway, leaving them vulnerable to predators. Naturally, if a disproportionate number of fish who are about to reproduce are eaten before they can do so, that's problematic for the various fish species, and for the ecosystem.
Seeing the problem, a pair of ecologists—Anne Nijs and Mark van Heukelum—started working with the local government on a solution. And what they came up with is a website called The Fish Doorbell. The site has a webcam, underwater, that allows anyone around the world to monitor the water outside the lock. And, during daylight hours, there is a button that users can push to alert the lock keeper to open the gates and let the fish through. If you don't want to click through, or you're reading during nighttime for the Dutch, here's what it looks like:
There's also educational material for students, as well as a checklist for people to keep track of which species they've seen on the webcam.
By any measure, The Fish Doorbell has been a resounding success. It's now in its fifth year of operation, and has attracted millions of users from around the world in each of the five years (despite the fact that it only operates during spawning season). Last year, more than 9 million people logged in, and this year the webcam-keepers expect to surpass 10 million. It's a clear case where government is the solution, not the problem. Sorry, St. Ronnie of Reagan (and Elon Musk).
Have a good weekend, all! (Z)