course-details-portlet

BI2076

Fish health and welfare

New from the academic year 2026/2027

Assessments and mandatory activities may be changed until September 20th.

Credits 7.5
Level Intermediate course, level II
Course start Spring 2027
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction English and norwegian
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Oral exam

About

About the course

Course content

The course will firstly give basic introduction to fish health and welfare, as well as stress physiology and perspectives on ethics of production. The course will then give a deeper introduction to fish health with special focus on disease and disorder, biosecurity, and monitoring and evaluation of health and welfare.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

  • Know the terms fish welfare and health and how to work for improving welfare and health in fish farming.
  • Basic knowledge of salmon stress physiology and ethics in the production.
  • Know the most important diseases, disorders 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 in aquaculture 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 legislations, 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 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.

Mandatory activities for the course is summarized as "work", which will consist of exercises and/or a written assignment.

The composition of each part will vary from year to year.

Compulsory assignments

  • Work

Further on evaluation

Mandatory activities must be passed to be able to sit the final exam. The activities will change from year to year but will be informed at the first lecture or an information meeting.

Oral exam counts for 100% of the grade for the course. The exam is 20-30 minutes per student.

In case of fail or improvement of grade a new final exam is held during the exam period both spring and fall semester. Mandatory activities that have previously been approved will be valid as long as the course does no undergo major changes.

Course materials

Information will be given at the start of the course.

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From
BI1009 5 sp Autumn 2026
This course has academic overlap with the course in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject areas

  • Aquaculture
  • Biology
  • Marine Biology

Contact information

Course coordinator

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Biology

Examination

Examination

Examination arrangement: Oral exam
Grade: Letter grades

Ordinary examination - Spring 2027

Oral exam
Weighting 100/100 Examination aids Code E Duration 30 minutes