On 7th of May 2010 this year edition of campaign for restoring the salmon to the Vistula took place by the river Biala Tarnowska in Grybow community. WWF has been organizing this campaign, whose objective is to release young salmons into rivers and streams that are the Vistula tributaries, for six year so far. The other sponsors of the campaign are companies of Coca Cola Poland system.

Thanks to this initiative, almost 1.5 ml of salmons have been placed into the rivers, including 40 000 of this year edition. The effects of the capmaign are quite optimistic. Although we need a few years to have salmons back for good, we are now certain that the conditions of upper Vistula are still favourable for salmon procreation. When salmons return, it will mean that our biggest river is again clean enough to have fish which the sign of good quality water.

Salmon is a wandering fish that breeds in mountainous rivers and streams. After two years it goes to the sea where it reaches adulthood. Then it returns to the rivers in order to lay eggs. The drainage basin of upper Vistula is the most important historic place of salmon breeding in Poland. Wild salmons disappeared in Poland at the end of '60s due to pollution and regulations of rivers. The most damaging was the dam in Wloclawek that appears to be the biggest obstacle in the journey of spawning-season.

'The campaign 'Rzeki dla życia' (Rivers for life) is a perfect example of our strategy of socially responsible business', says Iwona Jacaszek, director of corporate affairs at Coca Cola HBC Poland. Companies from Coca Cola system act proactively for the protection of water resoureces all over the world. We use water in our production processes in the most effective way. We save it, purify it  and collect liquid waste. We also cooperate with the local communities, authorities and non-governmental organizations.

The results of a five-year monitoring of salmon survival show that there are two rivers especially favourable for the salmon restoration: Choczewka in Podkarpacie province and Biala Tarnowska in Malopolska province. The chances of a final success when it comes to return of the salmon to the drainage basin of upper Vistula are increasing along with the progress of works devoted to the sewage treatment.