The ORLEN Unipetrol Foundation and anglers from the Czech Anglers Union have organised the regular fish-stocking event in the River Bílina. They stock the river with fish twice per year – in spring and autumn. This autumn, the event took place at the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin in Most with the assistance of first graders from the 7. primary school in Most. Together, they released 300 kg of fish into the river. In total, nearly 12 tonnes of fish have been released into the River Bílina since 2010.
The regular fish stocking is accompanied by infotainment activities and assignments fulfilled by children following a demonstration by anglers. Before the actual release, anglers tell children about life in Czech rivers and streams and how to identify local fish species. The children can also hold the fish in their hands and release them into the wild.
"Protecting and promoting the environment is one of the pillars of our social responsibility. It also includes regular releasing of fish into rivers in the vicinity of our plants, thus contributing to the restoration and development of river ecosystems," says Zbigniew Pawłucki, Chairman of the Management Board of the ORLEN Unipetrol Foundation, and adds: "This spring we released 400 kg of fish into the Bílina River and now in the autumn 300 kg of fish. Since 2010, we have released nearly twelve tonnes of fish into Bílina."
“This year, we have mainly released tench, bream, roach, rudd, carp, pike, and perch. The fish come from hatcheries located throughout Czechia. We stock the river with fish to supplement and expand their local populations. I am pleased that the released species flourish and reproduce in many locations,” explains Jan Skalský, spokesman for the North Bohemian Division of the Czech Anglers Union.
The ORLEN Unipetrol Group has invested over CZK 1 million in releasing fish into the River Bílina, which also flows around the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin in Most, since 2010. The other Group’s environmental protection initiatives include support for peregrine falcons nesting in the ORLEN Unipetrol sites, where they have already raised 58 chicks. At Neratovice-based Spolana, which is also a member of the Group, the ORLEN Unipetrol Foundation supports beekeeping activities. For the outstanding quality of their honey, the local beekeepers repeatedly receive a gold medal from an accredited laboratory of the Bee Research Institute.
About the ORLEN Unipetrol Foundation
The ORLEN Unipetrol Foundation launched its activities in 2017. Its primary mission is to support education and popularise science, primarily natural sciences and technical disciplines, as well as corporate social responsibility, emphasising local communities and the environment. The Foundation has long been engaged in supporting schools, teachers, and students with grant programmes. The educational project, ‚Plastík a jeho kouzelný kufřík‘, provides schoolchildren from the first to the fifth grade with an excursion into the world of chemistry through entertaining experiments. Educational support and the associated Foundation’s activities gave rise to many educational materials and outputs in the form of tutorials available at www.nouonline.cz. Beginning in 2024, the Foundation is also committed to corporate social responsibility related to the environment, support of local communities, and volunteering. Such activities include championing volunteer and community projects, fundraising, fish releases into rivers, nesting of endangered peregrine falcons, and beekeeping. The Foundation cooperates with many non-profit organisations on a long-term basis but also reacts to current events in society and emergencies. More information about the ORLEN Unipetrol Foundation’s mission and other activities is available at www.nadaceorlenunipetrol.cz.
Contact details:
Lucie Pražáková, director of the ORLEN Unipetrol Foundation
Telephone: +420 736 506 939