“We organise fish planting near the Spolana Neratovice site twice a year. We have teamed up with the local fishing union and environmental centre. The good condition and count of the local fish population is a positive indicator of the pureness of water at the facility,” says Miroslav Falta, Spolana’s Executive Director. He adds that besides the Elbe, the fishers and Unipetrol also care for the River Bílina. Regular fish releases are necessary to maintain the water ecosystem. Spolana is involved not only in the planting of fish but also wants to ensure the best possible environment for all aquatic animals. High quality and pureness of water in the vicinity of the production site is also apparent from the results of regular monitoring and the popular angling competitions on the Elbe.

“We have released a total of 500 kg of fish. It was a kind of a mix – carps, grass carps, tenches, and catfish. We have been cooperating with Spolana for seven years, and we restock the river annually, mostly in spring and in autumn,” says Miloslav Vacek, Vice Chairman of the Czech Fishing Union’s branch in Neratovice. Despite the strict sanitary measures, the release of fish was attended by third graders from the primary school in Neratovice. They could learn what a pike, a carp or a catfish looks like, what they eat, and other interesting information. “It is an exciting project. The children spend time in nature; they spend an afternoon at the Elbe and learn about various fish species. They went round various information sites and competitions, and we even had a barbecue,” says a class teacher from the Neratovice primary school (ZŠ 28. října Neratovice), Iva Horáková.

The eco-centre seeks to discuss various issues related to environmental protection with children. “This time, we debated about waste sorting, which helps us recycle and save natural resources. The other topic was soil protection because we need arable land to produce food, not to deposit waste,” says Jana Krátká, a controller at the environmental centre in Kralupy nad Vltavou.

Fish stocking is one of the many activities aimed at environmental support. The Spolana facility is also home to endangered peregrine falcons, for example. They also keep bees on the site, and the local honey has received the top – golden – quality mark every year.