In collaboration with anglers from the North Bohemian Anglers Union and with support from the ORLEN Unipetrol Group, children from the First Primary School in Most have released an additional 400 kg of native fish species into the River Bílina. The traditional semi-annual event took place near the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Most. The Most Environmental Centre also participated in the event, having prepared a side programme for children in which they could test their knowledge of the aquatic world and learn a lot of interesting information about Czech rivers. Since 2010, the ORLEN Unipetrol Group has contributed more than CZK 1 million to support releasing 11 tonnes of fish into the River Bílina.
The event was accompanied by educational activities during which anglers showed the pupils various interesting aspects of the aquatic world. The children shared their knowledge of the aquatic environment acquired at school with the anglers. They had the opportunity to experience the release of fish into the river first-hand.
“Releasing fish into the Bílina is a traditional event during which we combine the support of the environment with the education of pupils from local primary schools. I am glad that this event has become a regularly recurring one,” says Katarzyna Woś, Vice-chair of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group’s board of directors, about releasing fish into the River Bílina.
This year, the event was attended by fourth graders from the First Primary School in Most, who helped release 400 kg of fish into the river. The event took place next to the translocated church in Most, and the attendees received a rich side programme. “The children get both hands-on experience with environmental protection and are involved in various educational activities, such as quizzes about the aquatic ecosystem, and test their knowledge on what fish species might be seen in Czech rivers. We are happy that the class of children who collaborate with us on the MOST k přírodě project, which leads to practical protection of the environment, were involved in this event,” explains Martina Černá, head of the Most Environmental Centre.
“The children enjoyed the event very much. Practical experience of nature is a great complement to instruction on the aquatic world, about which we learn this year. It was really a tremendous experience for the children to hold and release fish into the river,” adds Mgr. Lenka Černá, a teacher at the First Primary School in Most.
The fish release was carefully planned and coordinated to comply with the ecological needs of the River Bílina. “We release different fish species that traditionally live here so that the ecosystem is as balanced as possible. This time, we released tench, common bream, carp, pike and basses into the Bílina,” explains Jan Skalský, spokesman for the Czech Anglers Union’s North Bohemian section.
In addition to increasing the fish population in the River Bílina, the event aims to raise awareness about nature protection among children from primary schools and children’s homes. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group has supported this event since 2010 and has contributed over CZK 1 million to releasing approximately 11 tonnes of native fish species into the Bílina. Together with releasing fish into the Bílina, the ORLEN Unipetrol Group also supports the nesting of critically endangered peregrines that regularly return to their nests on the company’s sites.
The 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 vehicle fuels and petrochemical products – particularly plastics and fertilisers. It belongs among the key players on the Czech and Central European markets in all these areas. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group encompasses refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice, Spolana in Neratovice, REMAQ in Otrokovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. ORLEN Unipetrol also includes the ORLEN Benzina network of petrol stations in the Czech Republic and the ORLEN network in 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. ORLEN Unipetrol is also a socially responsible company, particularly in the areas of supporting sustainable development, education, local communities and the environment. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the ORLEN Group, the largest oil refiner in Central Europe.