World days, 10 Jul 2027
National Fish Farmers' Day
India's day for fish farmers, marking the first induced breeding of Indian major carps by Hiralal Chaudhuri and K. H. Alikunhi.
On 10 July 1957, at a research station in Odisha, the scientists Hiralal Chaudhuri and K. H. Alikunhi made Indian major carps spawn by injecting them with an extract of fish pituitary gland. Until then, carp farmers had to collect wild eggs and young fish from rivers during the monsoon. Induced breeding allowed hatcheries to produce seed fish when needed, and it underpins India's pond farming of rohu, catla and mrigal today. The Government of India marks the date each year as National Fish Farmers' Day, with awards to farmers and fisheries workers.
Fish tied to National Fish Farmers' Day
Still to be written: Catla, Mrigal carp, Grass carp.