LAHORE After getting encouraging results from stocking of fish seed of two species in water bodies with active larvae, the Punjab Government has decided to identify more larvivorous fish species to fulfill the dream of biological control of dengue virus carrying mosquito Aedes Aegypti, TheNation has learnt. The Punjab Fisheries Department had initially identified 186 water bodies with active larvae in various districts of the province including Lahore and stocked/restocked these with 154900 fish seed of Tilapia and Grass Carp. With the passage of time, the number of targeted water bodies with active larvae reached 361. The monitoring reports of pre and post stocking indicated absence of larvae, except few sites where dead larvae was found. After getting success in the plan of biological control of larvae in the first phase, the Punjab Fisheries Department has initiated the process of identification of additional larvivorous fish species to open up new and more natural options for controlling the menace of dengue virus. According to the officials, the process of identification of more larvivorous fish species would be completed soon and these would be short listed after laboratory trial at Fisheries Research Institute Manawan, Lahore. Seed of short listed larvivorous fish species will be utilized along with Tilapia and Grass Carp for the biological control of dengue virus carriers Aedes Aegypti. Talking to TheNation, Secretary Fisheries Major Shahnawaz Badar said that the department started working on the plan of biological control of larvae through fish on September 14. He said that stocking of active larvae water bodies with fish seed of Tilapia and Grass Carp species has yielded desired results and now the government was making more elaborate arrangements to save the people from dengue virus in future. He said that Dengue Control Cell has been notified and established at the office of Director General Fisheries Punjab for monitoring and supervising the process of biological control of larvae. He said that focal persons have been nominated at divisional level and the same has been communicated to the district governments in the province.