Fish Health and Welfare in Finfish Farming

We offer fish welfare workshops designed to equip the learner with the knowledge and competence in fish welfare practice and handling techniques to meet and exceed regulatory and 3rd party standards requirements.

Upcoming Fish Health & Welfare Workshops in 2025 Upcoming Fish Health & Welfare Workshops in 2025

BIM is running a series of Fish Health and Welfare Workshops for the marine and freshwater finfish aquaculture industry.

Course Tutors

The workshops will be delivered by Aquatic Veterinary Surgeons Felix Scholz, Susie Mitchell and Tara Chamberlain (Plankton Workshop).


Full list dates and venues Full list dates and venues

Workshop Type Dates Venue
Fish Health and Welfare Workshop – Freshwater Wednesday 7 – May

(09:30-16:30)

ATU – Galway Campus
Treatments and Vaccination – Freshwater Thursday 8 May

(09:30-13:30)

ATU – Galway Campus
Fish Health and Welfare Workshop – Saltwater Tuesday 20 May

(09:30-16:30)

ATU – Galway Campus
Plankton Sampling Practical Workshop Thursday 29 May

(09:30-16:30)

ATU – Galway Campus
Infectious Diseases – Main diseases, current trends, and challenges Tuesday 23 June

(12:00-16:00)

 

STIM Office, Galway
Cleaner Fish Health and Welfare Workshop Tuesday 24 June

(09:30-16:30)

ATU – Galway Campus
Fish Health and Welfare Workshop Tuesday 9 September

(09:30-16:30)

ATU – Letterkenny Campus

Registration

Registration is now open for May and June Workshops.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE – Thursday 24  April 2025

To register your request contact:

Aquaculture Finfish Quality & Food Safety Specialist

Vera Flynn


Details for upcoming workshops in May and June

Fish Health & Welfare Workshops - Freshwater

Participants will be given an overview of fish welfare and husbandry and the importance of good fish welfare practices relevant to their duties.

Who For

  • The workshops are open to individuals who wish to enhance their knowledge of fish welfare in the finfish aquaculture sector. It will be of particular interest to new entrants or as a refresher for freshwater staff working directly with and involved in the handling, transferring, and harvesting of fish.

Location – Galway – Atlantic Technology University (ATU), Galway Campus, Dublin Road, Galway

Duration – Full day (9:30- 16:30)

Format –  In person

Treatments and Vaccination - Freshwater – Practical

Participants will be given an overview of best practice when vaccinating and carrying out bath treatments in freshwater finfish.

Who for

  • The workshop is targeted at freshwater site staff working directly with and involved in fish health management.

Location – Galway – Atlantic Technology University (ATU), Galway Campus, Dublin Road, Galway

Duration – Half day practical      (09:30-13:30)

Format –  In person

Fish Health & Welfare Workshops – Saltwater

Participants will be given an overview of fish welfare and husbandry and the importance of good fish welfare practices relevant to their duties and will include an overview of fish welfare at harvest, with a focus on product quality implications. Relevant anatomy, physiology will be included.

       Who For

  • The workshops are open to individuals who wish to enhance their knowledge of fish welfare in the finfish aquaculture sector. It will be of particular interest to new entrants or as a refresher for marine site staff working directly with and involved in the handling, transferring, harvesting, and processing of fish.

Location – Galway – Atlantic Technology University (ATU), Galway Campus, Dublin Road, Galway

Duration – Full day (9:30- 16:30)

Format –  In person

Plankton Sampling Practical Workshop

Harmful algal blooms and zooplankton swarms are an increasingly    consistent

challenge to fish health and welfare in Irish marine aquaculture. The aim of this

practical workshop is to provide an overview of harmful plankton species (zoo

and phytoplankton) and their impact on finfish health and welfare, sampling

techniques, species identification and mitigation measures.

Who for

  • Members of the finfish aquaculture industry involved in fish health, plankton sampling and mitigation of harmful algae and jellyfish.

Location – Galway – Atlantic Technology University (ATU), Galway Campus, Dublin Road, Galway

Duration – Full day (09:30-16:30)

Format –  In person

Infectious Diseases – Main diseases, current trends, and challenges

This workshop is a round table discussion on new and emerging disease challenges of relevance to Atlantic salmon. Pathology, disease trends, current research, treatments, and mitigation will be discussed.

 

Who for

  • This workshop is appropriate for any staff working directly with fish health and welfare practice on fish farm sites. Attendance of one of the classroom workshops prior to this might be of benefit for those interested in a refresher on relevant fish diseases, anatomy and physiology.

Location – Galway – Atlantic Technology University (ATU), Galway Campus, Dublin Road, Galway

Duration – Half day (12:00 – 16:00)

Format –  In person

Cleaner Fish Health & Welfare Practical

Participants will be given an overview of cleaner fish welfare and husbandry and the importance of good welfare practices relevant to their duties.

Who For

  • The workshops are open to individuals who wish to enhance their knowledge of Cleaner Fish health, welfare, and husbandry in the finfish aquaculture sector. It is targeted at marine site staff working directly with and involved in cleaner fish management.

Location – Galway – Atlantic Technology University (ATU), Galway Campus, Dublin Road, Galway

Duration – Full day

Format –  In person

Fish Health & Welfare Workshops – Saltwater

Participants will be given an overview of fish welfare and husbandry and the importance of good fish welfare practices relevant to their duties and will include an overview of fish welfare at harvest, with a focus on product quality implications. Relevant anatomy, physiology will be included.

       Who For

  • The workshops are open to individuals who wish to enhance their knowledge of fish welfare in the finfish aquaculture sector. It will be of particular interest to new entrants or as a refresher for marine site staff working directly with and involved in the handling, transferring, harvesting, and processing of fish.

 

Location – Letterkenny – Atlantic Technology University (ATU), Letterkenny Campus, Port Rd, Gortlee, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal

Duration – Full day (9:30- 16:30)

Format –  In person


Fish Health and Welfare Tool kit Fish Health and Welfare Tool kit

 


Fish Welfare Workshops are jointly funded by the Irish Government and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).

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