NAFC Marine Centre
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| NAFC Marine Centre logo |
NAFC Marine Centre is an industry-managed institute dedicated to supporting the aquaculture, fish catching, merchant navy and ancillary industries.
The NAFC Marine Centre offers a wide range of courses from one day practical training, to the three year cadet programme. Every aspect of developing the workforce to create a modern sustainable fisheries industry is covered within the curriculum.
Training and education provided at NAFC will help you gain and retain a job in the fisheries industries.
| Address: | Port Arthur, Scalloway.ZE1 0UN |
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| Tel: | 01595 772000 |
| Fax: | 01595 772001 |
| Mobile: | |
| Website: | http://www.nafc.co.uk |
| e-mail: | info@nafc.uhi.ac.uk |
Open hours:Mon-Fri 09:00 – 17:00
History
Training Shetland's Fishermen - Early Days
In the decades following the Second World War there was a growing recognition of the importance of training Shetland's fishermen. This reflected not just the escalating size and sophistication of local fishing vessels, but also the increasing requirement for fishermen (from skippers and engineers to deck hands) to have formal, nationally recognised qualifications.
Navigation and seamanship had been taught in some Shetland schools for generations, and in the 1960s and 1970s special classes for fishermen were provided in Whalsay and Lerwick. A Shetland Fishermen's Training Association (SFTA) was established in 1981 but students still had to attend colleges outside Shetland to complete their training to obtain tickets.
A Fisheries College for Shetland
The Shetland Islands Council adopted the idea of building a college as part of its strategy to support the local fisheries industries. The location for the new college was chosen at Port Arthur in Scalloway (the site of a former herring curing station) and in 1988 the Shetland Fisheries Training Centre Trust was established to administer it.
Until the completion of the Main College Building in May 1992 training under the college's auspices continued, with aquaculture courses being delivered in Scalloway Public Hall and Scalloway School, and classes for fishermen in the former Iceatlantic Offices at Blacksness. In view of the increasing range and scope of the work now being undertaken by NAFC, the decision was taken in September 2005 to change the institute’s name from the North Atlantic Fisheries College to the NAFC Marine Centre.
List of Activities
Shetland School of Nautical Studies
- Merchant Navy Cadet Programme (deck officer and engineering)
- Deck and Engineer officer training for the Merchant Navy (including
- inter-island ferries) and fishing industry
- Short courses for Merchant Navy, fishing, engineering and aquaculture.
- Shore-based Mechanical and electrical engineering training
Shetland Fisheries Training Association
- Training Grants
Marine Science & Technology
- Shellfish Stock Assessment
- Shellfish Research
- Monkfish Research
- North Sea Stock Survey
- Jig Fishing Project
- Lobster restocking
- Pelagic fish and plankton dynamics
- Vocational Aquaculture courses
Shetland Seafood Quality Control
- Superior Quality Shetland Salmon scheme
- White Fish Quality Improvement scheme
- Chemistry lab tests: sediment, fish flesh, water quality, shellfish toxins
- Microbiology lab tests: fish flesh, water, shellfish, food hygiene and safety
- Marine benthic (seabed) and hydrographic (current) surveys
- Analysis of benthic (seabed) samples
- Modelling for consent to discharge applications
- Environmental impact assessments
- Food Innovation Centre
Marine Management
- Works licensing on behalf of the SIC
- Advice to SIC on marine issues
- Responding on SICs behalf to national and European consultations
- Scottish Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative
Facilities (available for hire except library)
- Specialist marine library which the public can join
- Full Mission Bridge Simulator
- Training, Research and Survey Vessels
- Hatchery
- Research scale fish farm
- Research scale shellfish site
- Workshops
- Accommodation
- Classroom, seminar room and lecture theatre
