CARP-PAS was awarded the status of a research institution of the Polish Academy of Sciences on July 1st, 1992. It was established on the basis of the Scientific Department of the Fish Culture Experimental Station. The main directions of the present activity include the study of the biological basis of fish breeding, the development of breeding methods in ponds and in controlled conditions, the introduction of new fish species, and the optimisation of links between fish farming and water management. The Institute is in possession of the well-developed scientific base includes 37 laboratory rooms, a library with reading room and conference hall, a centre for fish breeding in controlled conditions, an experimental factory producing fish fodder in pellet form, 3 aquarium rooms, 115 experimental ponds in a total area of 48 ha, and 18 apartments for the staff. There is all the necessary equipment (computer system, microscopes, scales, laboratory accessories and equipment) to carry out basic research on the physic-chemical parameters of water, pond environment, fodder, fish and other organisms. The library of the Institute contains above 15 600 books and 48 subscripted journals. The Institute is well prepared for serving as a conference centre and to organise summer and semester training and courses for university students of biology and fisheries. The scientific base of the Institute is also available for research workers from other institutes of ichthyobiology and hydrobiology in their studies of pond ecosystems, nearby rivers and reservoirs. Carp-Pas is headed by Dr. Andrzej Pilarczyk, who will head the team of researchers of Carp-PAS.