Fishy goings on for students

With the distinct smell of something fishy assaulting my nose it's very clear from the moment you enter Rodbaston College's Aquaculture Centre that there are no classrooms to be found here.

Instead of desks there are huge vats of water housing hundreds of types of ornamental and commercial fish which are destined for fish farms and garden centres across the UK.

Instead of a lecturer buried beneath papers there is a team of highly-skilled and technical staff who are experts in the art of breeding and caring for fish.

Rodbaston's fish hatchery is primarily a living classroom where students studying basic fishery courses right through to detailed national diplomas learn through hands-on experience.

But the fishery is also a commercial business which sells hundreds of thousands of fish a year and has just reached the landmark of breeding its four millionth little nipper.

The centre, which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, has a reputation among the fishing world for producing some of the best quality commercial fish in the UK.

The business is so successful it generates around £40,000 a year profit which is ploughed back into the college. Bosses at Rodbaston say in just eight years has become a leader in the fish industry.

Approximately 50 students a year study a variety of fishery courses at the centre, which has state-of-the-art systems.

It draws all its water from a bore hole on the college site and uses hi-tech methods to constantly clean, filter and re-use the water meaning there is very little cost and low water usage. This is in line with Rodbaston's drive to become a centre of excellence for sustainable development. Centre manager Pete Bryan, aged 47, said: "We are a business, but the students come first, they are the most important thing.

"They learn in a hands-on way and they experience every aspect of fish production from selecting broodstock through to grading and selecting fish at point of sale."

Among the fish bred at the centre, which employs three staff, are ornamental species such as koi, ghost carp, fantails, and goldfish. Among the coarse fish produced are carp, green tench and crucian carp.

Mr Bryan said students are not used as a source of labour and learning is their priority. He added: "Some of our students come here with no qualifications and they can go on to earn a national diploma and equivalent to more than two A-levels. We have had some students come here with nothing and earn enough points to get into university."