Characteristics of Fisheries Resource Science

　Although the fisheries industry must supply food from the sea in a sustainable way, it is facing various problems in resources, production, environment and distribution. Under the circumstances, it is strongly called for both locally and globally to produce resources sustainably, keep in place sustainable fishing ground environments and turn fisheries into a sustainable industry. In order to develop the fisheries industry in local and global communities, it is important to develop human resources who can solve these problems. The important mission of newly established Fisheries Resource Science is to train such human resources.

Fisheries Resource Science consists of four Courses: Aquatic Bioresource Science and Technology; Aquaculture; Environmental and Conservation Sciences; and Marketing and Management in Fisheries. The Department aims to develop personnel who can solve a wide range of problems facing the fisheries industry. Taking advantage of the University’s geographical location in southern Kyushu, the Department utilizes the broad and varied environments ranging from the East China Sea, the Pacific Ocean to Kagoshima Bay as its field of learning, and where students learn various fishing practices. The Department provides education and research opportunities to develop human resources who work out solutions to the worsening problems facing the fisheries industry; develop the basic technologies to turn fisheries into a sustainable industry; and develop marketing and management models. In addition, the Department aims to develop personnel who possess the knowledge and capabilities necessary to work out solutions for local problems and have a global perspective to utilize such knowledge and skills in solving problems.　[Aquatic Bioresource Science and Technology] 　[Aquaculture] 　[Environmental and Conservation Sciences ] 　[Marketing and Management in Fisheries ]

Our Image of Human Resources

　The department provides professional education on fishery policy, fishery distribution, biological resource, resource production, aquaculture and environmental conservation. In addition, the department trains human resources who possess a comprehensive and professional understanding about the socioeconomic issues surrounding the fishery industry, various issues relating to its resources, fishing techniques, aquaculture techniques and the fishing ground environment and the approach to solving these problems and playing an active role locally and internationally in the development of the fisheries industry. To develop these human resources, the following four Courses are offered:

Aquatic Bioresource Science and Technology

• 　The course aims to contribute to the sustainable development of fisheries resources and provides professional education on the distribution and reproduction-related habits of these resources, clarification of their behavioral mechanisms and their application to fishing techniques, selective fishing techniques, labor/energy-saving in fishing activities, resource measurement/assessment by means of acoustic equipment, field surveying and data analysis methods. The Course trains human resources who will possess globally competitive professional knowledge in the management of fishery resources and fishing techniques, and who contribute to materializing the sustainable use of these resources.

Aquaculture

• Aquaculture contributes greatly to the maintenance and sustained increase in fisheries resources. The course uses both coastal and inland waters of southern Kyushu as the location for learning, because this area has numerous productive aquaculture facilities. In addition, the course provides, in an interdisciplinary and practical way, professional education on reproductive technology, seed production, nutrition and feed development, and fish diseases/immunity treatment required for aquaculture. In doing so, the course develops highly professional fisheries technicians who have acquired internationally competitive knowledge and techniques and have the capability to solve domestic and international problems relating to the aquaculture industry.

Environmental and Conservation Sciences

• With the purpose of protecting the fishing ground environment where aquatic biological resources are produced, the course provides advanced knowledge on the chemical pollution of the aquatic environment, impact assessments of aquatic biological resources and aquatic ecosystems, eutrophication of fishing grounds and algae blooms, advanced professional knowledge about the solutions of these problems, field surveying methods, methods for analyzing pollutants and biological high-molecular-weight substances using advanced equipment and usage of relating databases. The goal is to train human resources who will play an active role in the recovery of polluted aquatic environments and the production/utilization of affected aquatic biological resources.

Marketing and Management in Fisheries

• Fisheries cannot be replaced by any other industry, because it supplies the essential food products and therefore is an indispensable element of the Japanese economy and critical in revitalizing the economy of southern Kyushu. Based on this recognition, the course provides advanced professional education on the rational use of fisheries resources and fishing grounds, local revitalization primarily through fisheries, stable development of the fisheries industry and policymaking, distribution and processing, and consumption and marketing of marine products. The course trains personnel who will possess research capabilities in data-based analysis on distribution/policy and can develop distribution, management and policy models so that the fisheries industry will promote local revitalization by supplying marine products to meet consumer needs.

Diploma Policies

The Master’s degree (in Fishery Science) shall be awarded to students who have earned the credit points required for graduation and have passed a thesis examination or screening of their research results on a specific theme and have the following credentials/capabilities.

• ・ The capability to develop new technologies in aquaculture, fisheries resource management and fishing ground protection, as well as sufficient knowledge to analyze management data, distribution data and policies, all based on advanced knowledge of the conservation of the resource production environment. ・ The capability to support the production of marine products to meet consumer demand and to succeed in local revitalization through the promotion of fishery.