Course content

The course will firstly give basic introduction to stress physiology and fish welfare and how this affects fish health and ethics of production. The course will then give a deeper introduction to fish health with special focus on diseases, biosecurity, and monitoring and evaluation of health and welfare.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

• Basic knowledge of salmon stress physiology and ethics in production.
• Know the term fish welfare and how to work for improving welfare in fish farming.
• Know the most important diseases and parasite infections in fish farming and how they spread.
• Knowledge on how biosecurity can prevent spread of disease.
• Know relevant legislations, regulations and standards related to fish health and fish welfare.

Skills:

• The candidate can apply his/her knowledge of salmon to understand and contribute to solving new biological and operational issues in aquaculture and animal welfare.
• The candidate has the knowledge to find and apply relevant regulations, regulations and standards in animal welfare.
• The candidate is familiar with relevant biological methods and other professional tools for recognizing suboptimal farming conditions and contributing to solving the challenges.
• The candidate can reflect on his/her own professional practice in the subject areas of the course and act as part of an interdisciplinary team with staff from the other important disciplines in aquaculture, including as responsible manager.

General competence:

• The candidate can use knowledge and skills in an independent manner in different education and work-related situations by showing cooperation, responsibility, ability to reflect, and critical thinking.
• The candidate has broad insight into the environmental consequences and challenges of fish welfare in aquaculture and can put these in a broader perspective including economics and sustainability.
• The candidate can communicate knowledge about salmon biology in farming and the influence of the marine environment to different target groups both in writing and orally, and can help to highlight aspects of the aquaculture profession's significance and consequences.
• The candidate can, through sharing their knowledge and experience in academic discussions within the subject area, contribute to a continued sustainable operational and environmental development in aquaculture.
• The candidate knows and can contribute to new thinking, innovation and the digitalization of aquaculture based on the subject's areas.

Learning methods and activities

The teaching will largely be based on lectures, mainly physical, but some online. The number of each will vary from year to year. There will be a laboratory exercise on stress in salmon with a two-week duration, followed by submission of a lab report. In addition, there will be a short laboratory exercise on hygiene.

Compulsory assignments

• Lab work
• Practices

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

None

Required previous knowledge

None

Course materials

Information given at start of course