Course summary
The FdSc in Fishery Management and Sustainable Aquaculture is land based programme that will deliver the scientific and management principles required for working within a wide range of fish related industries such as fish farming, fish health and fishery management. Students are likely to encounter a wide range of different environments and practices depending on their chosen career and therefore will require a diverse range of skills and knowledge to enable them to apply this in industry.
The programmes provide students with opportunities to develop their skills relating to the farming of fish, health checks, adjusting wild fish populations and management of habitats. Students will also attend a work placement where further opportunities can be sought, for example working on a wide range of fish farms including salmon, trout, coarse fish or marine hatcheries. Placement may also include work with the Environment Agency, managing lakes and rivers or work within ornamental aquatics. The fisheries industry is diverse and the opportunities offered by the foundation degrees reflect this diversity.
Course aims
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To provide students with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to apply theoretical principles of fishery management, aquaculture and fish biology in industry.
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Education and training for those employed in a variety of work, such as fish farming and production, recreational fisheries management and allied industries, such as retailing, wholesaling, research and education.
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Providing opportunities for learners to gain a nationally recognised vocationally specific qualification to enter employment or progress to suitable higher level vocational qualifications.
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To raise student aspirations and achievement through the development of scientific, technical and vocational skills required in their chosen area of employment in the fisheries industry
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To enable students to apply fundamental biological concepts to fishery management and aquaculture.
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To enable students to apply and practice high standards of animal welfare according to legislation
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To develop students’ practical skills such as fish surveying, fish husbandry, identification and treatment of diseases.
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To enable students to assess health and safety risks in the fisheries industry
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To enable students to plan and implement research projects addressing vocational problems
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To provide an understanding of the way in which teams operate in a business and organisational context
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To enable students to plan, organise and develop their own programme of learning linked to their career progression
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To enable students to reflect on their personal learning, identify future goals and plan their career development
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To develop students’ academic skills such as research, analytical and evaluative to allow progression to Honours programmes and beyond
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To develop students’ key skills such as communication, numeracy and ICT skills that will enable them to perform as independent learners
Core skills
Transferable academic and employability skills are delivered in three specialist units delivered throughout the programme.
Module framework and module description
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Year 1
Semester 1
Principles of Ecology
Fishery Management
Academic and Professional Development
Semester 2
Water Quality
Fish Anatomy and Physiology
Academic and Professional Development
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Year 2
Semester 1
Population Monitoring
Fish Health
Managing in an Organisation
Semester 2
Warmwater Aquaculture
Coldwater Aquaculture
Research Methods
First year modules
Module Title: Principles of Ecology
Ecology is essential to our understanding of how to manage the land, its resources and species. Land use policy and practice has often proved disastrous where there has been a lack of understanding of the way populations and ecosystems function at both large and small scales. This has resulted in declines in biodiversity and soil productivity. This unit considers fundamental ecological theory that describes the way in which individuals, populations and species grow, interact and are distributed. The way in which energy is transferred through ecosystems and impacts on the length of food chains and numbers of individuals at varying trophic levels will be investigated. It will consider the manner in which ecosystems alter with time and the influence of living organisms on successional processes.
Module Title: Fishery Management
This is a fundamental module designed to extend the students knowledge in the sustainable management of fish, fish habitats and sport fisheries, which is essential for the effective management and development of running and stillwater sport fisheries. Content is diverse covering a range of fisheries management concepts, knowledge and skills necessary for employment (either self-employed or in employment) in the fisheries industry. Students will develop further understanding of fishery management practices and skills and knowledge of the principles and legislation required to effectively manage and develop sport fisheries pertinent to meeting industry recognised standards and current UK and European legislation.
Module Title: Water Quality
This module aims to introduce learners to skills and knowledge associated with water quality and how these can be applied in practice. Almost every living thing on our planet needs water to survive and to humans this substance is vital. Problems with water quality can cause serious problems in any context where aquatic animals are kept. As a result monitoring and controlling water quality is vital in all areas of the fisheries industry. This module focuses on assessing water quality for aquatic habitats, factors that influence water quality, and water treatment methods.
Module Title: Fish Anatomy and Physiology
This is a fundamental first year module for all students wanting to work in fish related industries. The emphasis is on the structure and function of fish’s body. There will also be emphasis on how the environment impacts physiology and how morphology relates to a wide variety of fish’s life styles. This module is designed to cover basic cell biology through to the function of all internal systems. In addition, this module will provide the opportunity to develop higher level cognitive skills through, research, evaluation and presentation.
Second year modules
Module Title: Population Monitoring
This module is designed to extend the students knowledge in the management and assessment fish populations, which is essential for the effective management and development of running and stillwater sports fisheries. This module covers a range of fishery appraisal concepts and techniques. Students will develop further understanding of fish population monitoring practices, and are required to carry out a fishery appraisal report making assessment of the state of fish populations.
Module Title: Fish Health
This module builds on foundations of first year modules including water quality and fish anatomy and physiology and will link with second year modules such as cold water aquaculture and warmwater aquaculture. Content covers a range of knowledge and skills necessary to extend the students knowledge of fish health, which is essential for the effective management and development of ornamental water bodies, sport fisheries, aquaculture systems and in the fisheries/aquatics industry. Content includes pathogens, water quality and practical and laboratory skills for fish biologists. This module will also cover all current UK and European legislation relating to the control of fish disease.
Module Title: Warmwater Aquaculture
Warmwater Aquaculture provides a sustainable way of producing fish to meet an ever increasing demand on fish for the table market. While other forms of aquaculture currently have issues relating to the use of finite resources such as fishmeal the farming of Tilapia for example uses plant proteins. Tilapia is a major world food source and consumption in the US is growing by 25% per year. The European markets are also rapidly expanding and production currently stands at 10,000 tonnes. Warmwater fish farming is being looked upon increasingly as an option for the diversification of traditional agriculture.
Module Title: Coldwater Aquaculture
Coldwater fish are farmed on a large scale worldwide not only for food but also for the coldwater ornamental fish industry. In the UK, coldwater fish are increasingly important to restocking markets in the development of sports fisheries. Therefore in the UK, there is a healthy and increasing demand for fish from fish farms for food, sports fisheries and stock mitigation as well as for ornamental fish such as koi and goldfish. The industry has produced good quality fish successfully for many years; an increasing number of commercial sports fisheries, predation and disease have resulted in a steady growth of the industry. Recent environmental and animal welfare concerns mean that farming techniques must be monitored constantly and refined to enable the industry to continue its success.
Teaching, learning, assessment
A range of teaching and learning strategies will be employed throughout the programmes that are pertinent to both the needs of the students and employers as well as in accordance with the UCS Teaching and Learning Strategy.
Teaching and learning strategies will include lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical and laboratory sessions, group activities, action research projects, site visits, guest speakers, conference visits and a study tour to Scotland during the second year.
Teaching methods will be designed to promote student directed learning and reflection, intellectual and scholarly based activities and research based projects. A variety of teaching and learning methods will enable students with different learning styles and diverse experience to meet the wide ranging module learning outcomes.
Timetabling
The year is organised into two semesters, with each semester comprising of 15 week periods (12 teaching weeks and 3 assessment weeks), together comprising an academic year. Some modules of study will run throughout the two semesters while others will run for one semester. The year runs from September to January and February to June. The inter-semester period is used for Assessment Boards and other activities. This is when the grades for the semester are confirmed and made official. Attendance is on a two day a week basis for full time students for two years. Full time students will study 60 credits in each semester and can expect to have to attend for around eight hours each day. Outside formal study times, students will be expected to spend at least an equivalent amount of time per week in independent study. In addition, students will also take on work based study to achieve the required 200 hours in the workplace.
Work placements
It is an essential requirement that students attend a placement accumulating 200 hours work experience per year to achieve the FdSc Fishery Management and Sustainable Aquaculture. Students are required to find pertinent work experience in the fisheries industry to enable them to successfully achieve their qualification. Achievement of the work experience is assessed at level 4 in the core module Academic and Professional Development and at level 5 in the core module Managing in an Organisation. Students could potentially find work experience at fishery consultancies, fish health laboratories, game and course fisheries, a wide range of fish farms and public display aquaria.
Tutorial and study support
Students will be offered a combination of pastoral one-to-one tutorials and subject specific tutorials that may be individual or group sessions as part of their programme of study.
All students are entitled to two 20 minute individual tutorials per semester with either the Course Leader or the HE Support Tutor. Such tutorials are designed to support individual student needs during which students identify and review their own targets and develop action plans for successful achievement of goals. Individual tutorials will address a students' academic progress or any factors affecting progress as well as career and key skills development.
Group tutorials are designed to support small or large groups of students with a common set of objectives for achievement of goals. These may involve support with achievement of assessment e.g. delivering oral presentations, writing essays or reports, presentation of portfolio work or career development e.g. interview preparation.
Subject specific tutorials form part of the module taught hours and are designed to help students successfully complete assessments and achieve module learning outcomes.
All types of tutorials are designed to promote confidence and embed a positive attitude toward achievement of learning outcomes and nurture lifelong and reflective learning. All tutorials will be conducted in a manner that follows the UCS Tutorial Policy.
The role of the HE Support Tutor at UCS Otley involves providing pastoral support to enable all students to complete their programme of study to the best of their ability. Students with disabilities or learning difficulties will be invited to attend one-to-one tutorials with the Course Leader and HE Support Tutor to discuss how their needs can be met. Students at UCS Otley will also be able to access the Learner Services Team based at Otley College campus for advice on careers, student finance, transport and student welfare. The student services team at UCS Ipswich will also be able to support students with advice regarding student accommodation as well as offer study skills workshops.
Opportunities on completion of the course
Graduates of the programme are able to progress onto the BSc (Hons) Aquaculture and Fishery Management at Sparsholt College, Hampshire. Articulation routes are also available at UCS Otley on the BA (Hons) Professional Studies. Details of articulated progression routes are provided in the Student Handbook. Guidance on progression from the foundation degree to other courses and into industry is provided by the UCS Careers Office and is embedded in the work based learning modules.
The programme will prepare students for the professional world of fishery management and aquaculture. Students may find employment at fishery consultancies, coarse and game fisheries, a range of fish farms, public display aquaria or government organisations such as the Environment Agency.