Welfare indicators – Live Lecture

Participants will learn about the latest technologies around developing welfare indicators, their advantages and disadvantages and carry out practical exercises around real-life cases for welfare monitoring. Environmental enrichment and exercise training will be examined in relation to how they can be beneficial in terms of promoting resilience and robustness in fish.

Target audience

Researchers, students and technicians in the life sciences who would like to improve and be aware of the latest developments around welfare and welfare indicators in aquaculture research. It is believed that the course is particularly useful for researchers involved in AQUAEXCEL3.0 TransNational Access (TNA) projects.

Lecture 1: Welfare indicators and their application to different fish species used in aquaculture research

Lecturers: Chris Noble (Nofima, Norway), Åsa Espmark (Nofima, Norway) and Lars Helge Stien (Institute of Marine Research, Norway)

Learning Goals:

• Identify the most commonly used welfare indicators;
• Understand the difference between input- and outcome-based Operational Welfare Indicators (OWI);
• Receive guidelines and how to evaluate during scoring;
• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of using the different welfare indicators in aquaculture research;
• Learn about differences between fish species in terms of welfare;
• Further developments in fish welfare.

Lecture 2: Latest technologies around developing welfare indicators

Lecturers: Petr Cisar (JU, Czech Republic), Nikos Papandroulakis (HCMR, Greece), Martin Føre (NTNU, Norway), Jaume Pérez Sánchez (CSIC, Spain), Chris Noble (Nofima, Norway), Åsa Espmark (Nofima, Norway) and Nina Blöcher (SINTEF, Norway)

Learning Goals:

• To know the most commonly used and latest technologies for defined welfare indicators;
• Advantages and disadvantages of the latest technologies;
• How to use the technologies for tank and sea cages monitoring;
• Monitoring differences between fish species;
• The use of online and offline monitoring.

Lecture 3: Welfare benefits of physical enrichment procedures and exercise training for robust fish

Lecturers: Sonia Rey Planellas (University of Stirling, United Kingdom), Jonatan Nilson (HI, Norway), Wout Abbink (WUR, Netherlands) and Marie-Laure Bégout (Ifremer, France)

Learning Goals:

• Understand the most commonly used enrichment procedures in aquaculture;
• Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of physical enrichment procedures and exercise training for robust fish;
• Learn about differences between fish species in terms of enrichment benefits;
• Learn about future prospects and research needs

Practical information

Location: Online Course. Full details on access will be provided after registration.

Date & Time: Live lecture – 4 October 2023, from 9:00 to 14:15 hrs CEST (Central European Summer Time)

This (live) course will be recorded as the basis for the non-live online course that will be available on an on-going basis after the live course. Further details will follow after the live lecture

Language of instruction and materials: English

Fees: Course attendance is free, thanks to EU Horizon 2020 Funding

Registration

E-mail your registration request to info@aquaexcel.eu using the official registration form that can be downloaded from the AQUAEXCEL3.0 website: https://aquaexcel.eu/training-courses/

Please indicate the following in the subject: AQUAEXCEL3.0/ training course #1 -Live version

A separate GDPR Consent Form is also provided on the project website. The GDPR Consent Form must be completed by individuals applying for any AQUAEXCEL3.0 training course and should be attached to the training course registration.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE = Friday 29 September 2023