Antwerp (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A small pond between Lint’s Sociaal Huis and WZC Zonnestraal has been emptied, prompting the relocation of 35 fish, including several large koi carp, in an operation that may mark the beginning of wider changes around the local welfare-centre site.
The relocation was reported on August 24, 2026, after the pond was drained and the fish were transferred to a new home. The municipality described the operation in its official notice as “Vijver aan sociaal huis leeggemaakt, 35 vissen verplaatst”—“Pond at the social house emptied, 35 fish relocated.”
It was said by the local press that the pond became too small for the fish inhabiting it. The pond was home to some large koi fish that need enough water for proper growth. It is also known that no specific details were provided about how big the pond used to be before.
What happened at the pond?
The pond was situated between Sociaal Huis and WZC Zonnestraal and thus located in a very visible place where the social welfare organizations, care home residents, workers, families, and visitors would use it. The 35 fish were relocated once the pond was drained; the pond was not left to keep its fish in inappropriate environment. It seems that the relocation had been planned even before the pond was drained. This is important because the procedure indicates attempts to protect fish from the poor water quality and lack of oxygen and other possible risks that could occur while draining the pond.
Nevertheless, there is no information on who exactly relocated the fish, whether any specialists in handling fish were employed or even a vet was called, whether there were any injuries and loss during the process. The municipal notification reports only the number of the fish that were relocated, but does not contain a list of species. The local report indicates that there were koi carp among the fish, and they were relatively big fish. It is still unknown what species the rest of the fish belong to.
Why was the pond emptied?
The immediate reason mentioned in local sources is that the pond became too small to house its fish. With 35 fish – some of which being large koi fish – the initial pond might simply not provide enough room or stable water conditions for them. The operation can also be related to maintenance, landscaping, safety improvements or development of the adjacent area to the Sociaal Huis.
However, the existing reports only mention the pond drainage and fish relocation; there is no information about the project plans, schedule, budget and the future of the area provided yet. This raises an important question whether the draining is caused only by overcrowding or the pond drainage has anything to do with the overall redevelopment project. At any rate, it would be too hasty to claim that a big-scale construction project has been approved without additional information from Lint municipality.
Has anything similar happened before?
This move is not an exception as in the Netherlands, there have been more than 500 fish moved from a pond near Daniel den Hoed Clinic to a pond in Erasmus MC. This example shows that relocation was conducted in the healthcare facility where, just like in Lint’s operation, there was a need to move fish away from a pond linked to a medical or care facility.
Another relocation of fish was performed in the United States in September 2025 where fish and mussels were moved from the Red River of the North due to flood-diversion construction. In this case, 2,048 fish of 32 species and 4,723 mussels of 10 species were relocated. Though the US example showed large-scale activities and differs greatly from Lint’s operation, it still proves that it is possible to relocate aquatic animals before construction or draining.
