Shaping the future of sustainable aquaculture

The University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver is launching Western Canada’s only graduate-level aquaculture program in September 2020.

The one-semester (four-month) program will open the door for science graduates to understand the aquaculture industry and related fields, including current trends and emerging technologies.

“The rapid growth of the aquaculture industry continues on a global scale. It is the sustainable and viable source of future increases in seafood production,” said Justin Henry, a 25-year aquaculture veteran who will be teaching the Aquaculture Production Systems course in the program. The course will cover traditional production systems as well as RAS, aquaponics, and organic certification.

British Columbia has more aquaculture production than any other province in Canada, with farmed salmon as BC’s largest agricultural export. UBC’s location gives its aquaculture students access to the local industry. To enhance student learning, visits to commercial aquaculture production facilities that raise salmon and other finfish are part of the curriculum, as are tours to health and research institutes, feed manufacturing plants, and seafood processing facilities.

Students will gain a theoretical and practical understanding of the aquaculture industry through courses taught by experts in the field. These include Dr. Jason Mann, an industry renowned expert in fish feed and nutrition; Dr. Barry Milligan, a veterinarian and fish health expert well known in the B.C. aquaculture industry; and fish geneticist Dr. Wendy Vandersteen.

The program includes seven courses:

• Aquaculture Production Systems
• Fish Nutrition, Feeds and Feeding
• Fish Health
• Finfish Genetics and Reproduction in Aquaculture
• Ecological Sustainability of Aquaculture
• Business Concepts in Aquaculture
• Seafood Processing

“The global talent pool of career-oriented aquaculturists is not meeting the needs of the industry today. We plan to help expand this pool by producing tomorrow’s talent whose learning is grounded in science and who are passionate about sustainability and healthy food production,” said Henry.

More details about UBC’s Graduate Certificate in Aquaculture can be found at aqua.landfood.ubc.ca or requested by emailing lfs.aquaculture@ubc.ca.