Niels Houben has already saved thousands of fish that were in danger of dying now that ditches and streams run dry. On Wednesday afternoon he stood in a pool behind the care institution Huize Padua near Boekel. That is what is left of a ditch that has largely dried up. He tries to give the fish that swim there a safe haven.
Niels is from the angling umbrella organization Sportvisserij Zuidwest Nederland and, together with the Aa en Maas Water Board and local angling associations, tries to save as many fish as possible.
Niels is in the water up to his waist. Hanging from his belly is a device that goes into the water with a wire. “Watch out,” he says. “Don’t touch the water. It is electrified.” The current makes the fish drowsy and easier to catch. Niels goes through the water with his landing net and catches one fish after another. “Every fish is another one,” he says.
The work is badly needed. “This pool will be completely dry within two weeks. To prevent the fish from dying en masse, we try to catch as many as possible.”
“Every fish we save is one.”
Niels goes through the water with his landing net again and has caught a few fish again. These go into a large basin where dozens of roach, pike, bass and loaches are already swimming.
“We are really busy now,” Niels continues. Not only this water but also other places will dry up in the coming weeks. And doing nothing is not an option. Every fish we save is one.”
In this way he has saved thousands of fish in recent times. Half an hour with a landing net through the pool at Huize Padua yields dozens of fish. When the tub is well filled, the fish are poured into a special tank that is located on the back of Niels’ pick-up truck. A little further on, the fish are released into the river Leijgraaf, which will certainly not run dry.