Bhubaneswar, April 8: The Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) has decided to extend its research to more economically viable fish species in the current financial year to help farmers yield more varieties of fish and earn more.

The institute will also educate fish farmers on adopting better management practices for maintaining the purity of fish species in their ponds for better yield and genetic progression.

Till date, the CIFA has largely concentrated on development of common Indian carps (katla, rohu and mrigal). Now, it will also conduct research on other fish varieties.

“A striped catfish, which has come into these parts from Bangladesh, has become popular in Andhra Pradesh. We want to develop our own breed of catfish as it has a wide market reach in the eastern region,’’ said CIFA director P. Jayasankar.

Speaking to The Telegraph about the annual plan of the institute on its 26th foundation day yesterday, the senior scientist said: “We will also concentrate on the giant freshwater prawn and the small catfish (pabda), anabas, murrell and other minor carps so that people of the eastern region may have a lot of choice. With the availability of a wide spectrum of fish varieties, farmers can also get good returns.”

The CIFA will also educate farmers on preventing inbreeding to ensure better fish production.

“We have found that some farmers put all three types of carp fingerlings in a single pond so that there is inter-species breeding leading to genetic pollution among the fish species. Back cross (mating of offspring with parental stock) is also a dangerous trend because it creates a situation called introgression in genetics. This results in substandard production,” said a senior scientist of the institute.

The institute will take up special awareness drives for farmers both in coastal and remote districts.

“Farmers will also be taught not to use the same parents to produce seeds again and again because it creates breeding depression in fishes leading to a weak progeny,’’ said the institute director.

CIFA started out with the pond culture division of Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, which was established in Cuttack in 1949, with a view to find solutions to problems in fish culture in ponds and village tanks. In 1976, it was developed as the Freshwater Aquaculture and Training Centre at Kaushyalaganga in Bhubaneswar. In 1987, it became an independent institute called the CIFA. At present, it carries out research in ponds on its 147-hectare premises.

While Jayanti rohu, developed by CIFA, has become a preferred fish in the region, its pearl culture division is training jewellers across the nation to get cultivate good quality pearls.