The Research Institute was established in Prague in 1921. In 1953 it was moved to the town of Vodňany in South Bohemia. Since 1996 it has been part of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. It is the largest and most comprehensive facilities focusing on basic research and primarily on applied research in the sphere of fish culture in the Czech Republic. For its research activities the Institute utilizes a small fishpond farm, a purpose-built river fishing preserve, specialized laboratories, aquarium rooms, two experimental facilities for research into reproduction, genetics and the breeding of fish, and the intensive breeding of fish and crayfish, including recirculation systems with water filtration.