North Bohemian anglers have released 500 kg of fish into the River Bílina near the relocated Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary in Most. This time, too, the event was attended by schoolchildren from the town of Most. The annual fish release is part of the joint project of systematic fish stocking organised by the refining and petrochemical ORLEN Unipetrol Group, the Czech Fishing Union, and the environmental centre in Most since 2010. In total, they have already planted ten tonnes of fish for CZK 1 million. Children from local primary schools have witnessed the project over the past three years, which helps them deepen their learning of nature and strengthen their relationship with the nature around them.
The River Bílina rises in the Ore Mountains near Chomutov, runs through Czechia’s most industrialised area, and empties into the River Elbe in Ústí nad Labem. Its purity has significantly improved over the past three decades, which is reflected in the local fish population’s good condition and numbers. The autumn release of new fish near the relocated Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary was attended by four-graders from the Eleventh Primary School in Most: “The children welcome the regular fish stocking of the Bílina as it always jazzes up their lessons. First, they spend the morning in the fresh air. Then, through various competitions, they learn useful information from the world of aquatic animals,” says Katarzyna Woś, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group.
“We have shown the kids the various fish species living in the Bílina, the way we release fish into the river, and why we do it. We released a part of the entire volume in front of them, and the remainder was distributed along the watercourse. In total, we stocked the Bílina with 500 kg of original fish species such as bream, carp, roach, or rudd. All of them form a balanced community in the river,” Jan Skalský, spokesman for the North Bohemian branch of the Czech Fishing Union, says about the project details.
The environmental centre in Most took charge of the second part of the programme, which was instructive and a lot of fun, aimed at expanding the children’s knowledge about nature. “Now, the children know more about what fish eat and what their lifecycle stages are for a fertilised fish egg to become a fish ready to be released into the river. They learned to recognise individual species and learned about the most common mammals and birds living in the Czech Republic,” specifies Martina Černá, head of the environmental centre in Most.
“During this programme’s duration, we have released more than ten tonnes of fish for CZK 1 million into the River Bílina. We also work together with anglers on the Elbe, where we plant the fish near the Spolana Neratovice site,” Katarzyna Woś concludes. Fish stocking aimed at revitalising and resuming varied life is part of ORLEN Unipetrol’s CSR activities. The Group and the Alka Wildlife association also take care of peregrine falcons nesting at the manufacturing sites in Litvínov, Kralupy nad Vltavou, and Neratovice. Within this project, a total of 40 chicks of this critically endangered species have been born on the sites since 2011.
The ORLEN Unipetrol Group has adopted corporate social responsibility as one of its priorities when building its sustainable business plan. ORLEN Unipetrol approaches its activities ethically and responsibly, which is why it has implemented international standards in corporate social responsibility, too. Furthermore, it aims to maintain the Group’s ongoing development and cooperation with local communities in education, social issues, and the environment. The total expenditure on CSR activities amounted to CZK 20.8 million in 2020.
The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refinery and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude oil processing and the production, distribution and sale of vehicle fuels and petrochemical products – particularly plastics and fertilisers. In all these areas, it belongs among the critical players in the Czech and Central European markets. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group encompasses refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo, with its Mogul brand in Pardubice, Spolana Neratovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. ORLEN Unipetrol also includes a network of Benzina ORLEN filling stations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. With 421 filling stations, Benzina ORLEN is the largest chain in the Czech Republic. Since its entry in 2019 to Slovakia, Benzina ORLEN has been one of the fastest-growing chains and currently has 20 stations in its network. ORLEN Unipetrol employs more than 4,800 people. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became a member of the ORLEN Group, the largest crude oil processor in Central Europe. In addition to its business development, ORLEN Unipetrol is proud to be a socially responsible corporation. Therefore, it pays an equal amount of attention to initiatives, focusing on the cultivation and support of sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment.