New NAFC fish welfare course hailed a great success

The Fish Welfare course, which is recognised and approved by the RSPCA, has now been delivered to over 200 delegates from 11 different aquaculture companies across Scotland. 

NAFC business development manager, Alan Bourhill, initiated the development of the course as a direct response to a demand from industry. Concern about the welfare of farmed fish is driven by a broad range of factors, including consumer and retailer awareness, legal, ethical, economic and scientific factors.  The two-day welfare training course reflects this understanding and is designed to increase the knowledge and skills of managers, supervisors and operatives working in the industry. 

 “Our welfare course presents the latest knowledge about best practice and the well-established links that exist between welfare, health and product quality in a way that it easy for everyone to understand.”

Demand for the course has been high; as well as delivering six courses in Shetland, NAFC Marine Centre staff have also delivered a further ten programmes at various locations across the country. 

Alan Bourhill continued: “We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from delegates and their employers including one manager who is now recommending that every new employee at his company undertake the training within six months of starting.

“Looking to the future, we are in the process of developing a web-based version of this and other CPD courses so that people can undertake training at their place of work.  We intend to continue to increase our portfolio of courses that maintain, improve and broaden the knowledge and skills of the people working in both the aquaculture and fisheries sectors.”