04 Mar Project in the Port of Scheveningen
Fish nurseries to raise awareness among schoolchildren in the Netherlands
Ecocean, together with the North Sea Fish Foundation of Scheveningen and the Maris College, is the initiator of the Levende Haven (“Living Port” in Dutch) project in the Port of Scheveningen, a famous district of The Hague.
On Tuesday 23rd February, in the presence of the Harbour Master and the President of the North Sea Fish Foundation of Scheveningen, Ecocean installed 10 Biohut under the pontoons of the Port of Scheveningen.
The Biohut, providing natural food resource and shelter to juvenile fish, can now be used as a refuge by baby fish taking shelter in the port of Scheveningen. Last year, juvenile seabass, sticklebacks, pipefish and eels were observed in the harbour, different species that will benefit from the protection of the Biohut for their survival.
Besides the goal of protecting these small fish, the project aims to unite the entire community of the port, to raise awareness about the biodiversity it hosts and to highlight the importance of its protection.
The three parties wish to use the Biohut to raise awareness about marine ecology among the students at Maris College and to inspire them to go for careers in science or in the marine sector. Initially, 125 students will be involved in the project. An educational program is being developed and the students will monitor the Biohut with cameras, receive marine ecology courses and will be able to produce ecological habitats for aquatic biodiversity themselves. Local youth, fishermen and professors are connected and enthusiastic about the project. Levende Haven has received funding from the SIOS Participatory Fund, is supported by the municipality of The Hague and was chosen by the inhabitants of Scheveningen as one of the favorites among all submitted projects!