Litvínov, 28 May 2018 - Forty children from the Most Okružní elementary school released pike and almost 200 kilograms of other species of fish into the Bílina river in the city of Most with the support of the Czech fishing association and the refinery and petrochemical group, Unipetrol. Unipetrol has been engaged in cooperation with North-Bohemian fishermen since 2010 and jointly they released into the Bílina waters over five thousand kilograms of native species of fish in the total value of 450 thousand crowns.
"For this year´s first restocking we have chosen a place at the church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in the city of Most,” says Václav Jelínek, Manager of the North-Bohemian territorial association. "We managed to obtain 3,600 fish with a total weight of 200 kilograms. Originally there was supposed to be twice the quantity of the fish but because of herons and cormorants we have unfortunately lost a significant proportion of the fish. The largest share is that of pike, common bream and common roach,” Jelínek added.
"Part of our common project with the Czech Fishermen Association is the education of children and deepening of their knowledge in the area of zoology and nature. Pikes were released for the first time ever and the children were enthusiastic. The fishermen showed the children the way the teeth of pike are placed, telling them a lot of information from the life of these predatory fish,” says Pavel Sláma, Director of Ecology Unit at Unipetrol, adding: "However, our primary objective remains the revitalisation of the Bílina river and the strengthening of the local population of traditional Czech fish."
From its source in the Loučeň highlands of the Krušné Mountains to Ústí nad Labem, where it flows into the Elbe, the Bílina river measures 83.6 km. It flows through the most industrial areas of the Czech Republic with high ecological burden. However, over the last three decades, the cleanliness of the river water significantly improved and steadily keeps on improving.
For the first time this year the restocking was participated upon also by the Environmental Centre of Most, which invited fourth graders from the elementary school, Okružní, and prepared for them competitions with fish-related topics. "The professional commentary of the fishermen was supplemented by a knowledge quiz. For example we have asked why holes are cut in ice in winter or what do carp live of,” explained Martina Černá, Head of the Environmental Centre of Most.
In addition to Bílina, in cooperation with fishermen, Unipetrol also takes care of the Elbe. Fish are restocked in Neratovice in close proximity to the operations of Unipetrol in cooperation with a local organisation of fishermen. The cleanliness of the water in the vicinity of the Spolana complex is evidenced by repeated fishing races as well as regular monitoring of the state and condition of the local fish stocks.
The Unipetrol Group is the largest refinery and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses primarily on crude oil processing, distribution and sale of fuel and petrochemical products — particularly plastics and fertilisers. In all these fields, the group is a key player on both the Czech and Central European market. The Unipetrol Group includes refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo with the Mogul brand in Pardubice and Kolín, Spolana in Neratovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. Unipetrol also owns the Benzina network of petrol stations with 402 stations, which is the largest chain in the Czech Republic. Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. The group created revenue of over CZK 122 billion last year and employs more than 4600 people. In 2005, Unipetrol became part of the PKN Orlen Group, the largest crude oil processor in Central Europe.
Contact details:
Pavel Kaidl, Press Officer, telephone no.: +420 225 001 407, +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@unipetrol.cz