Welfare from afar
A new online course in fish welfare, which was launched by the NAFC in Shetland this week, has attracted considerable industry interest already.
The NAFC Marine Centre's course is aimed at a wide range of people working in the aquaculture industry, including fish farm operatives and fish transport and processing staff. It covers the principles and responsibilities of fish welfare to meet the RSPCA's Freedom Foods standard and the syllabus includes a wide range of welfare issues, including live fish transfer, harvesting and production.
The launch of the e-learning version of the course means that students can undertake the training at a time and place that suits them, without having to attend college.
Aquaculture training section leader Stuart Fitzsimmons told Fish Farming Expert that seven people enrolled on the course on the day it was launched, and he expects that the industry uptake will be extensive, due to the fact that the NAFC had developed the online version in response to requests from the aquaculture industry.
"I expect a steady stream of enrolments throughout the year, in addition to the classroom-based courses," he said.
"It can be difficult for fish farm workers to attend college on a fixed date, especially if they live or work in more remote areas, and we have had a lot of requests for more flexible ways for workers to undertake training. The online version of our Fish Welfare course means that workers can complete this training at work or at home, and at any time that suits them. It also means that we can offer the training to many more people outside Shetland," he explained.
The e-learning course has been designed and developed by NAFC's Saro Saravanan and is based on the original 'face-to-face' version developed by Gregg Arthur. It follows the launch last year of an online version of the Shetland college's containment course, which had already attracted 8 participants prior to the college's Christmas break.
The online course 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 through the course, which should take about 10 hours to complete. Students will be able to contact an NAFC tutor for assistance if required.
NAFC will continue to deliver the Fish Welfare course in college as a one- or two-day course, for those who prefer that mode of delivery.
