Sustainability perspectives on contemporary fisheries. Where have all the fishes gone?
This course instance is exclusively for incoming exchange students
Course description
This online course is aimed for those of you who want to learn more about fish and fisheries. During lectures given in the evening, you will learn about how to combine lakes and seas full of life with sustainable fisheries. The course provides a broad overview of current and future challenges for sustainable fisheries.
Fishes play important roles in ecosystems by structuring them and by transferring nutrients up and down in the food webs. They are also important to humans as a food source and income. There is a current concern regarding fish stock depletion, and scientists as well as policymakers around the world are working towards sustainable fisheries goals.
At this course you will meet lecturers with different specialties regarding fish and fisheries, such as marine biologists, limnologists and evolutionary ecologists. You will also meet experts on the fishing industry and sustainable fisheries. You will learn how fish stocks are managed today, and how they could be managed in the future. The course will give you basic understanding of the influence of fisheries on ecosystems, and of the function and significance of fisheries for human societies, in Sweden and globally.
Entry Requirements
Course facts
MX0143, Sustainability perspectives on contemporary fisheries. Where have all the fishes gone?, 7.5 Hp
Print syllabus
Syllabus
Finalized by: PN-NJ, 2025-04-23
Valid from : Autumn semester 2026 (2026-08-31)
Level
First cycle (G1N)
Main field of study
Environmental Science
Grading Scale
5 / 4 / 3 / U
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.
Course language
English
Entry Requirements
Objectives
The aim of the course is to provide a broad overview around current and future challenges for a sustainable fishery. After finishing the course, the student should:
- Describe the significance of fish in the global food system -
- Describe an overall status for the fish stocks based on a number of global and national examples
- Account for basic characteristics of Swedish and international fisheries management
- Discuss different aspects of sustainability (environmental, social, economic) and different sustainability challenges that the fisheries management faces today and will face in the future
- Describe a number of new possible directions for increased sustainability in fisheries.
Content
The course gives an overview of the state of the fish and its significance as food and other ecosystem services, based on national and international examples. Current fisheries policies and management, as well as a number of sustainability challenges that fisheries management face, are described. The three pillars of sustainability, namely environmental, economic and social aspects, are accounted for. A number of new directions which can make future fisheries more sustainable are discussed.
Tuition is mainly performed as lectures from scientists and different stakeholders, combined with discussion groups. There can also be individual tasks, or tasks performed as group work, including presentations to the other students. A written assignment and presentation of the assignment is compulsary.
All teaching will take place online, since the course is given as a distance course fully online.
Examination Formats and Requirements for Passing the Course
Passed examination and approved written assignment and approved presentation of the assignment.
- If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.
- The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.
- If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.
- For the assessment of an independent project (degree project), the examiner may also allow a student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.
Responsible Department/Equivalent
Department of Aquatic Resources
Supplementary information
Module set
| Title | Credits | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Single module | 7.5 | 0101 |
Other Information
The course is student run and is a part of CEMUS (Centre for Environment and Development Studies) which is a collaboration with Uppsala University (http://www.web.cemus.se/). The study pace is 25% over one term with the predominating part of the curriculumn during evenings.
- The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.
- If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.