Equinor and Polenergia support the biodiversity of lakes in the Słowiński National Park

The Słowiński National Park in cooperation with Equinor and Polenergia has implemented a restocking program for the Łebsko and Gardno lakes. As part of the campaign, 260 thousand young zander individuals were released into the reservoirs, which will strengthen the balance of aquatic ecosystems. This is another example of companies' commitment to biodiversity conservation.

Thanks to the cooperation of Equinor and Polenergia with the Słowiński National Park, the zander population in two Pomeranian lakes has been strengthened. A total of 260 thousand young fish were introduced into the reservoirs: 200 thousand to Lake Łebsko and 60 thousand to Lake Gardno. The entire process was supervised by employees of the Water Ecosystems Protection Team.

– Our cooperation is of real importance for the preservation of biodiversity and the quality of lake waters. Increasing the zander population improves the interspecies balance and supports the trophic structure of reservoirs, which translates into better water quality and purity. These are activities that benefit the entire ecosystem, including valuable fish species, such as the endemic Łebsko whitefish, occurring only in Lake Łebsko, –  says Leszek Schiefelbein, conservator of the protection precinct from the Słowiński National Park.

The cooperation between Equinor and Polenergia with the Słowiński National Park is another initiative that confirms the companies' commitment to sustainable development.

– We are fully committed to supporting the biodiversity program of the Gardno and Łebsko lakes, implemented jointly with the Słowiński National Park. For us, this is  an expression of our concern for the integrity of ecosystems and responsibility for our neighbourhood. We focus not only on ad hoc gestures, but on long-term and well-thought-out projects that support the natural balance of the regions in which we are present – says Andrzej Popadiuk, Stakeholder Manager at Equinor Polska.

Polenergia and Equinor have been working to protect the environment for years, treating sustainable development as an integral part of their business.

– When implementing offshore wind farm projects in the Baltic Sea, from the very beginning we pay special attention to respect for nature and take action to preserve the environmental values of the region. The restocking campaign of lakes located in the vicinity of Łeba and Ustka fits very well into our strategy of supporting biodiversity and caring for local ecosystems – emphasizes Marta Porzuczek, Director for Sustainable Development at Polenergia.

The Bałtyk 1, 2 and 3 offshore wind farm projects are implemented with care for ecosystems at sea and on land. In preparation for the commencement of the construction of offshore wind farms, Equinor and Polenergia conducted numerous studies preceding the implementation of the investment, including, a.o. environmental, geological and geotechnical studies. They then planned solutions to reduce the impact of offshore wind farms on birds, mammals and fish in the Baltic Sea region, e.g. by creating bird migration corridors or using bubble curtains to reduce noise and vibration during construction. Cooperation with the Słowiński National Park is an example of a partnership approach to nature conservation and a confirmation that modern energy can and should go hand in hand with care for ecosystems in the vicinity of which investments are made.