Researchers are monitoring how diadromous fish navigate the Volkerak sluice complex, Europe’s largest inland lock system, to inform future water‑management measures. ATKB, working for Rijkswaterstaat, conducted a spring 2025 survey of juvenile eels (glass eels), three‑spined stickleback, burbot and pikeperch moving from sea to fresh water. An autumn survey will track adult European eels returning to the sea. Fish were fitted with PIT tags and receivers placed on both sides of the locks, allowing researchers to record numbers, routes and passage success. The data will feed a final report next year, after which Rijkswaterstaat will decide on actions such as smart lock management to improve fish passage. The study is part of the Viscorridor Bath–Volkerak project and aligns with the European Water Framework Directive, aiming to strengthen ecological connectivity in the Southwest Delta.
Source: Rijkswaterstaat
https://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl/nieuws/archief/2025/11/vissen-door-de-sluis-onderzoek-bij-volkeraksluizen
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