CV16006 SMART AFGDP Fisheries and Aquaculture 2016

SMART AFGDP Fisheries and Aquaculture 2016 survey undertaken in Cork Harbour. The aim of the AFGDP programme is to provide skills training to postgraduate students, research and field staff and is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). AFGDP courses are specifically tailored for the needs of postgraduate students and practitioners with an agriculture, forestry, fisheries, horticulture, food or nutrition based qualification or post. The AFGDP has been jointly developed by UCC, UCD and Teagasc. The shiptime applied for follows on from 2015 when 20 participants including PhD students, and Teagasc and Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) employees took part in multidisciplinary training in Cork Harbour and Approaches. For postgraduate participants the shiptime training forms part of a 5 credit, level 9 module entitled ‘Practical Fish and Shellfisheries Science’ within their structured PhD or MSc programme and is designed for postgraduates and practitioners in the Food area who have a scientific background and wish to learn more about the “marine food production” side of the food industry. Teagasc and SFPA participants undertake the module as continuous professional development (CPD). The Celtic Voyager is an optimal platform for delivering the modules learning objectives which are identified as: Distinguish different methods of fishing and capture • Identify retained and discarded elements of a commercial catch of fish • Expound on the drivers for retaining and discarding commercially valuable and non-commercial species in a catch • Demonstrate an understanding of fisheries management approaches • Discuss the ecosystem implications of fisheries and aquaculture and possible mitigation methods • Employ sampling and data collection methodologies aboard research vessels. • Discern the appropriate sample processing and survey methods for the main taxonomic and ecosystem groups.