Spolana Neratovice, a part of the refining and
petrochemical group, Unipetrol, has been organising the annual fish release
into the Elbe for seven years. Fish stocking aims to give a boost to the
river’s ecosystem. Besides the Czech Fishing Union and the eco-centre in Kralupy
and Vltavou, the release of 500 kg of fish was attended by third graders from
the primary school in Neratovice. The organisers have already released 3.5t of
fish during the two-year cooperation in this environmental programme.
“We
organise fish planting near the Spolana Neratovice site twice a year. We have
teamed up with the local fishing union and environmental centre. The good
condition and count of the local fish population is a positive indicator of the
pureness of water at the facility,” says Miroslav Falta, Spolana’s Executive Director. He adds that besides the Elbe, the fishers and
Unipetrol also care for the River Bílina.
Regular fish releases are necessary to maintain the water ecosystem. Spolana is
involved not only in the planting of fish but also wants to ensure the best
possible environment for all aquatic animals. High quality and pureness of
water in the vicinity of the production site is also apparent from the results
of regular monitoring and the popular angling competitions on the Elbe.
“We
have released a total of 500 kg of fish. It was a kind of a mix – carps, grass
carps, tenches, and catfish. We have been cooperating with Spolana for seven
years, and we restock the river annually, mostly in spring and in autumn,” says
Miloslav Vacek, Vice
Chairman of the Czech Fishing Union’s branch in Neratovice. Despite the strict
sanitary measures, the release of fish was attended by third graders from the
primary school in Neratovice. They could learn what a pike, a carp or a catfish
looks like, what they eat, and other interesting information. “It is an
exciting project. The children spend time in nature; they spend an afternoon at
the Elbe and learn about various fish species. They went round various
information sites and competitions, and we even had a barbecue,” says a class
teacher from the Neratovice primary school (ZŠ 28. října Neratovice), Iva
Horáková.
The eco-centre seeks to
discuss various issues related to environmental protection with children. “This
time, we debated about waste sorting, which helps us recycle and save natural
resources. The other topic was soil protection because we need arable land to
produce food, not to deposit waste,” says Jana Krátká, a controller at
the environmental centre in Kralupy nad Vltavou.
Fish stocking is one of
the many activities aimed at environmental support. The Spolana facility is
also home to endangered peregrine falcons, for example. They also keep bees on
the site, and the local honey has received the top – golden – quality mark
every year.
The Unipetrol Group is the largest refinery and petrochemical company in
the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude-oil processing and on the production,
distribution and sale of vehicle fuels and petrochemical products –
particularly plastics and fertilisers. In all these areas, it belongs among the
important players on the Czech and Central European market. The Unipetrol Group
encompasses refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad
Vltavou, Paramo with its Mogul brand in Pardubice and Kolín, Spolana Neratovice,
and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. Unipetrol also includes a
network of Benzina filling stations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. With
417 filling stations, Benzina is the largest chain in the Czech Republic.
Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in terms of turnover in the Czech
Republic. It earned over CZK 130 billion last year and employs more than 4,800
persons. In addition to its business development, Unipetrol is proud to be a
socially responsible corporation. Therefore, it pays an equal amount of
attention to initiatives which focus on the cultivation and support of
sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment. In
2005, Unipetrol became a member of the PKN Orlen Group, the largest crude-oil
processor in Central Europe.
For more information, please visit the “Responsible Company” section at
www.unipetrol.cz.
Contact information: Pavel Kaidl, spokesman, telephone: +420 225 001
407, +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@unipetrol.cz