The annual fish release into the Elbe River was not missed this spring by fourth grade students from the Neratovice primary school. The children together with fishermen planted half a metre of fish into the largest Czech watercourse. The Neratovice-based company Spolana, in cooperation with the ORLEN Unipetrol Foundation, has been organising the event for several years now, thus contributing to the maintenance of the Elbe River's aquatic ecosystem. The traditional stocking is always held in spring and autumn with the participation of first grade pupils from local primary schools. Since 2013, more than 10 tonnes of fish have been released into the Elbe River.
"By planting fish, our company contributes to the expansion of the fish population in the river and thus helps to improve its ecosystem. In addition to Spolana, the ORLEN Unipetrol Foundation and the Czech Fishermen's Association, the Kralupy nad Vltavou Ecological Centre also regularly participates in the project. The joint project aims to arouse the interest of primary school children in the environment and the importance of its protection," comments Piotr Kearney, Managing Director of Spolana, adding: "During this long-standing cooperation, we have already released more than 10 tonnes of fish into the Elbe River."
Traditional fish species such as bream, tench, perch, and roach are released into the river. This year, fishermen have also chosen pike, carp or catfish for variety. The composition and proportion of individual fish species is determined by the Czech Fishing Association according to previous monitoring of the abundance of species in the Elbe River. "During the release itself, we tell the children about underwater life in Czech rivers and interesting facts about fish life. Children can also try to cast a rod with our help and then release the fish into the river themselves. This year, we have prepared a small treat for the pupils in the form of roasting sausages," says Alois Hádek, chairman of the Czech Fishing Association Neratovice. He also adds that many species of endangered birds and amphibians live in the surroundings of the Neratovice Spolana, which shows that the environment around the company is healthy and favourable to nature.
In addition to fishermen, the Ecological Center also enriches this traditional event for students by preparing educational stations, interesting games, and competitions. "We always try to prepare a fun morning for the children with activities about the environment, its protection and importance, and we also prepare challenges from the water realm. This year it was water quizzes and puzzles, fish identification and there was also a creative activity in the form of painting carp," says Martina Černá, lecturer at the Kralupy nad Vltavou Ecological Centre, adding: "We are always happy when children enjoy the event and learn something new at the same time."
Spolana has been organising this traditional event since 2013 and is attempting to spread awareness of nature conservation among primary school children. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group has already invested more than one million crowns in stocking the Elbe River. The Foundation has allocated CZK 150,000 for this year's spring and autumn fish planting. It also supports the nesting of peregrine falcons and the breeding of honeybees in Spolana in Neratovice. For the excellent quality of their honey, the local beekeepers are repeatedly awarded a gold medal by the accredited laboratory of the Bee Research Institute.
SPOLANA s.r.o. is one of the largest chemical companies in the Czech Republic and the only Czech producer of PVC and caprolactam. It also produces ammonium sulphate and sulphuric acid. The company employs more than 700 people. Spolana has been owned by the ORLEN Unipetrol group since 2016. ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude oil processing and the production, distribution and sale of fuels and petrochemical products - mainly plastics and fertilizers. In all these areas, it is a major player on the Czech and Central European markets. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group includes refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice, Spolana in Neratovice and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. ORLEN Unipetrol also includes a network of ORLEN petrol stations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. ORLEN Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. It employs almost 6,000 people. In addition to business development, ORLEN Unipetrol prides itself on being a socially responsible company. Therefore, it pays equal attention to initiatives aimed at cultivating and supporting sustainable development, education, local communities and the environment. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the ORLEN Group, the largest energy company in Central Europe.
Contact: Pavel Kaidl, spokesperson, phone: +420 225 001 407, +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@orlenunipetrol.cz