S-OIL launches efforts to protect endangered natural treasure, Eoreumchi

● About 250 S-OIL employees and customers’ families released Eoreumchi into the Geum River in Okcheon, North Chungcheong Province.

S-OIL (CEO Nasser Al-Mahasher) invited its employees and customers’ families to conduct activities to protect a natural treasure. 

On Sept. 27, about 250 S-OIL employees and customers’ families released the fry of Eoreumchi (Hemibarbus mylodon), which is an endangered natural treasure, into the Geum River in Iwon-myeon, Okcheon-gun, North Chungcheong Province. Participants took an ecology class on freshwater fish, released about 5,000 Eoreumchi fry into the river, were given an ecological experience, and were educated on the cultural and ecological value and importance of endangered natural treasures.   

“Eoreumchi live only in the Geum River and the Han River. In particular, since Eoreumchi in the Geum River became extinct in the 1980s, multilateral efforts are required to restore Eoreumchi, such as the release of its fry,” said an S-OIL official. “We released its fry, which were artificially hatched and conducted habitat protection activities along with our customers’ families in order to communicate the importance of environmental protection and the restoration of species diversity.” 

Since 2010, S-OIL signed an agreement on the Eoreumchi Protection Campaign with the Korean Association for the Conservation of Freshwater Fish and has since sponsored protection and education activities.

As part of the campaign to protect natural treasures, S-OIL signed a natural treasure protection agreement with the Cultural Heritage Administration in May 2008. Under the agreement, it selected endangered Eoreumchi, cranes, otters, and longhorn beetles for protection, and increased their populations and protected their habitats as part of its sponsorship drive.