/p>About 150 fishers and fish farmers, including 17 women farmers and other stakeholders of the sector, such as Entrepreneurs, NGOs, and Researchers, participated in the National Fish Farmer’s Day Celebration. This year, the institute awarded eleven progressive farmers from eight different states, viz. West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Manipur, Kerala, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh as an honour for their contribution to the development of the inland fisheries sector in their respective states and as an encouragement to other farmers of the sector during the celebration of National Fish Farmers Day 2024. The programme was inaugurated by the Shri Gabriel D. Wangsu, Honourable Minister, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, by lighting the lamp.

While addressing the gathering, Shri Gabriel D. Wangsu mentioned that fisheries is a sunrise sector, and fish farmers/fishers should apply scientific know-how to get the best result. Shri Biplab Roy Chowdhury, Minister of Department of Fisheries, Government of West Bengal, felicitated the nominated farmers from the eight different states. In his speech, Shi Roy Chowdhury talked about the scope of women's empowerment through inland fisheries and praised CIFRI’s interventions. On this important occasion, three publications of CIFRI were released.

Regional Research Centre of CIFRI, Guwahati, celebrated National Fish Farmers’ Day at Hajo ,Kamrup District, Assam where 30 fishers participated. Regional Centre, Bangalore, stocked fingerlings of catla (Labeo catla), rohu (Labeo rohita) and carnatic carp (Hypselobarbus carnaticus) in Kanva reservoir, Ramanagara district, Karnataka and sensitized 50 farmers about the prospects of cage culture technology in reservoirs on this occasion.

The primary goal of celebrating National Fish Farmers' Day is to increase public awareness of technologies that are beneficial to the fishing sector. Observing days dedicated to fish farming can bring together scientists, fish farmers, and policymakers to address the inland fisheries issues assuring economic growth, livelihood support, and nutritional security.