General course objectives
The course will provide students with a basic understanding of capture based and culture based production of seafood, including volume, sustainability and their regulation. The science behind management of aquatic resources is critical in sustainable resource production and exploitation of renewable resources as well as for food security. The course describes main types of fisheries and explore their dynamics, technological developments, and technical interactions between fisheries, and it provides an overview of the systems and technology used in aquaculture production. Students will be able to distinguish key species in production and exploitation, as well as the environmental and ecosystem impacts of aquaculture and fisheries activities. Finally, it aims to explain the interactions between fisheries, aquaculture and agriculture in global food provision and management.
Content
Fisheries: The course will describe the main types of fisheries and fishing gears including their selection of species and sizes. It will provide understanding of fisheries technological parameters, technological developments, and advances in fish search and monitoring methods which all influences fisheries efficiency and dynamics. The course will explain basic concepts in fish population dynamics involving an overview of key stock parameters and explain the variability in those parameters according to biological, environmental, and abiotic factors such as climatic conditions. The course will provide an overview of the types and structures of fisheries managements and scientific advisory systems.
Aquaculture: Aquaculture is one of the oldest forms of animal husbandry. It encompasses the production of species on multiple trophic levels between microalgae and fish, for consumption, for ornamental purposes, for restocking purposes, or even for raw materials. The course will cover the various production systems used for aquaculture activities globally, but with an emphasis on European production and technology. The course will provide an overview of important species in production, including their nutritional requirements, feeding strategies, and resource utilization. The course will also cover the environmental impact and footprint of different aquaculture practices, as well as how these are mediated by adopting water treatment technology.
Learning outcomes
A student who has met the objectives of the course will be able to:
- Describe status, development, and drivers in global fish stocks determined by technological developments in their exploitation and according to other pressures such as climate change.
- Describe different fishing techniques, and fisheries technological parameters including gear selectivity.
- Explain basic concepts and terms used in fish-stock population dynamics and in fisheries biology and technology including ecosystem trophic interactions and fisheries technical interactions.
- Explain basic principles and techniques in natural renewable resource management according to sustainability criteria for target resources and for broader ecosystem impacts.
- Provide an overview of the general objectives of aquaculture production
- Describe the different aquaculture production systems used globally and the species produced
- Account for the environmental impact of fish farming activities and how these can be mediated.
- Discuss sustainability issues of aquaculture in relation to resource utilization and carbon/environmental footprint.
- List biological and engineering challenges relevant to European aquaculture.
Files/Documents
ISCED Categories
