Shetland welfare course goes global
AQUACULTURE students from around the world have enrolled on a fish welfare course run from Shetland, thanks to online learning.
More than 200 students - from Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal and Canada - have signed up to the course since it was launched, by the NAFC Marine Centre UHI.
The course was developed by NAFC’s aquaculture training staff at the request of the industry to help maintain high standards of fish welfare.
It was also designed to help the sector meet the training and compliance requirements of various certification schemes and codes of practice,.
The course covers a range of topics including water quality, husbandry, fish handling and harvesting, and diseases and treatments.
Course lecturer Saro Saravanan said: ‘The course was developed in collaboration with the aquaculture industry, and we have continued to work with them since it was launched to make sure that it remains relevant to their operations and the changing regulatory and certification requirements that they face.
‘We have also adapted the course to meet the needs of staff working in different sectors of the industry, including hatcheries, marine and freshwater on-growing sites, and live fish transport.’
NAFC’s head of Aquaculture Training, Stuart Fitzsimmons, said online delivery is allowing NAFC to overcome geographical and other barriers to training.
‘Many of those who sign up for online learning work irregular hours in remote areas and would find it difficult to attend normal college classes,’ he said.
‘Instead, they can study this and other online courses on their smartphone or other internet enabled device at times and places that suit them. Online delivery is also allowing us to offer the training to students outside our traditional catchment area and we have seen a growing number of enrolments from throughout Europe and across the Atlantic.’
The Fish Welfare course is also available as a traditional taught class.