Containment course goes live
An online course in fish farm containment has been launched by Shetland’s NAFC Marine Centre UHI, allowing students to gain a containment qualification from home.
The e-learning course, which has been developed by the college’s Saro Saravanan, is aimed at fish farm workers and covers a wide range of topics relevant to setting up and maintaining aquaculture facilities to prevent the escape of stock, and complying with relevant legislation and other requirements.
As NAFC’s aquaculture training section leader Stuart Fitzsimmons explains to Fish Farming Expert: “Grieg Seafood Shetland originally asked for the course in response to the new technical standard and the Aquaculture Act – which has an emphasis on increasing training levels by 2020 – and we’ve already delivered it to 129 farmers face-to-face.
“However, because of the demands of their work, it’s not always convenient for workers to attend college on a fixed date, especially if they live or work in more remote areas, but this new e-learning version means that they can complete the course at work or at home, and at any time.”
The course content was originally developed by NAFC stalwart Kenny Gifford.
“Kenny was able to download a whole lifetime of experience before he retired and there’s not many people with 40-50 years in the industry,” Stuart reflects.
The launch of the e-learning version means that students can undertake the course at a time and place that suits them, without having to attend college.
It uses the UHI's 'Blackboard Learn+' virtual learning environment. Once enrolled, students will be able to access the course via any internet enabled device. Simple online instructions guide them thought the course, which should take about 10 hours to complete. Students will be able to contact an NAFC tutor for assistance if required.
The distance learning aspect will also make it possible to deliver the course beyond Shetland.
“We’ve started local and can now go national, but the course is likely to be valid internationally too,” observes Stuart. “Although regulations differ between counties, containment is containment and a cage is a cage.”
Welfare
Stuart adds that Saro is now working on developing an online e-learning version of its 1-day Fish Welfare course.
“It should be available within a month,” Stuart concludes.
Full details of the Introduction to Fish Farm Containment and other aquaculture courses offered by NAFC are available at https://www.nafc.uhi.ac.uk/courses#tab2
