There is little doubt that education and training are vital to maintaining a competent aquaculture workforce, and that in turn a competent workforce is essential for the aquaculture industry to prosper. As outlined in a recent technical report from one of the industrys leading lights, the United States current provision for aquaculture education may be in need of a boost in some areas.

The USA’s foray into aquaculture education and training really took off during the 1970's and into the 1980's. In line with growing job opportunities in the aquaculture industry and interest in the “blue revolution” in these years, post-secondary institutions across the country increasingly offered aquaculture-related and aquaculture-supporting degrees and training programmes.

Many who graduated from these programmes back then successfully entered the aquaculture sector, but now a large proportion of them are coming closer to retirement. At the same time, the opportunities for the younger generation to study aquaculture appear to be slowly declining.

Several reasons for the decline in educational provision are outlined in a technical report by Dr Gary Jensen, a former National Program Leader for Aquaculture with the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). His findings were recently published in the journal Fisheries – where you can see the full report – and in ‘World Aquaculture’, the magazine of the World Aquaculture Society.

Responding to a survey of postsecondary instructions across the USA that offered any level of aquaculture-related instruction, some institutions reported ending programs because of fewer job opportunities, particularly in government and academic sectors, as well as disappointing industry development in some areas.  Other reductions appear to arise from aging teaching faculty and increased competition for limited extramural grant funds to support graduate students and programs.

Interest from students in taking aquaculture and aquaculture-supporting programs has also seen changes over the past 15 years.  Between 2000 and 2010, undergraduate, master’s, and PhD programs all saw increases in the number of students completing programs.  Between 2010 and 2015, both master’s and PhD level completions had increased, though at a significantly lower rate than in the previous 5 years.  Unfortunately the number of undergraduate degrees declined between 2010 and 2015 which, alongside ever-tightening budgets, has put some undergraduate programs under financial pressure.  A number of institutions also reported difficulty in recruiting American students for their advanced degree programs - despite offering attractive stipends. 

Given these trends, it is perhaps unsurprising that since 2010 there has been a significant slow-down in the number of new aquaculture programs being created.  Some programs have launched new online courses, which include aquaculture and hatchery management, as well as a range of aquaculture-supporting topics, such as fish nutrition and genetics/breeding.  These internet-based courses have the advantage of being able to reach students anywhere in the world, and provide specialised training.  Given the ever-changing landscape of the science and technology applied to advancing aquaculture systems and operations, and challenging regulatory requirements covering a range of environmental and operational facets, specialised training is likely to become increasingly important for further growth of US aquaculture in a globally competitive seafood market.  

Certainly America’s aquaculture education is not alone in seeing declines in students.  Looking across the border to Canada, a number of long-running aquaculture programs have seen declines in enrolment, and some even closing down.  One of those institutes offering aquaculture programs is the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland (MI).  “For the first 20 years or so [the aquaculture program] was quite popular…we had to turn people away.  About 12 years ago (since 2004), we started seeing a decline in enrolment” Mr Keith Rideout, Aquaculture Instructor at Marine Institute explained.  Exactly why the enrolment declines began is unclear, but echoing Dr Jensen’s concerns, Mr Rideout believes that loss of faculty has played its part ”We had a couple of very important connections with the main [Memorial University] campus, who were great conduits from undergraduate studies into all types of graduate programs”.  Mr Rideout speculated that public perception of the aquaculture industry has also played a part “The controversy on the various issues - the PCBs in aquaculture feed, escapement, using fish to feed fish, and so on, coupled with the loss of those mentors is, I think, part of the reason we have seen a downturn”. 

Unlike some of those surveyed in America by Dr Jensen, Mr Rideout does not feel that there is a decline in opportunities for work globally, and certainly not in Atlantic Canada.  “Globally aquaculture is expanding” Mr Rideout highlighted.  Whilst work itself may be available in Atlantic Canada and in other parts of the world, the opportunities are not always located in places where trained graduates want to relocate.  “The jobs are in rural areas – small towns.  Many of the students aren’t interested in going to these areas.  They’ve gone and studied for 4 to 8 years in a larger centre, they’ve experienced the amenities of cities, and now to go back to a rural town with few amenities is not easy for many people”. 

The Marine Institute offers over 20 industry-driven programs, from undergraduate and graduate degrees, to advanced diplomas of technology and technical certification, as well as a number of short courses and industrial response programs.  Alongside aquaculture, these programs cover a suite of marine-related topics such as ocean mapping, nautical science, marine engineering, water quality, and fisheries.  In more recent years, Marine Institute has embraced online delivery for a number of their programs.  “It’s a model that makes a lot of sense.  You are providing opportunities for people who cannot leave their jobs, who are unable to leave home to get this graduate credential, but can study”, Mr Rideout reflected on the Institute’s online Technology Management (Aquaculture Technology) program, which is designed for people already working in the aquaculture industry, but are moving into managerial roles. 

Online programs are not without their challenges.  Whilst industry employers, particularly those in America and Europe, aren’t concerned that a degree or certificate may have been earned online, other countries in the Middle East and Africa, where there is less awareness of online programs, can perceive them as being of lesser quality.  Other perception issues lie with students and professors who want to be able to interact with each other in a traditional ‘brick and mortar’ setting.  “We are trying to make the online environment as interactive as the classroom environment, and it’s getting better all the time.  Students can learn as much from their fellow students as they can from their professors, so it’s important we give them the opportunity to do that”. 

Certainly Marine Institute are not looking to give up on aquaculture anytime soon.  They are in the early stages of transforming their Advanced Diploma in Sustainable Aquaculture into a full master degree program, and remain committed to providing qualifications directly relevant to the industry.  “Employers on the production side aren’t looking for a master’s degree necessarily.  They aren’t even looking for advanced diplomas.  They want technically sound individuals.  So if we can provide a program that creates a good technical employee, the industry is satisfied”.  Mr Rideout also pointed out that many of Marine Institute’s undergraduate and graduate programs incorporate a work experience component.

The interest of students to pursue undergraduate or graduate training in aquaculture fields is driven in part by excitement about the future prospects of aquaculture development, and the diverse range of jobs in industry, academia and government.  Industry innovation and ingenuity will continue to create new efficiencies and pioneering breakthroughs that are usually linked to professional training and education in the fast evolving field of aquaculture. 

This article appeared in the Sustainable Aquaculture Magazine.