Professional diploma800 h · Online · 8 modules

Professional Diploma in Commercial Fishing Operations and Advanced Techniques

This professional diploma looks at commercial fishing from the wheelhouse and the deck, from finding fish to landing a high-quality catch. You will study operational oceanography and fisheries biology, acoustic fish finding with echo sounders, sonar and net sensors, the operation of trawls, purse seines, longlines and gillnets, fishing vessel stability, deck hydraulics and safety, catch handling, chilling, freezing and HACCP on board, fisheries governance and sustainability schemes, emerging technologies and fleet management, finishing with the full plan for a commercial fishing trip.

Duration800 h
ModeOnline
Start1 December
Modules8
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About the program

What is the Professional Diploma in Commercial Fishing Operations and Advanced Techniques?

This professional diploma prepares you to plan and run commercial fishing operations that are efficient, safe and sustainable. You will learn how sea surface temperature, fronts, upwelling, chlorophyll and currents reveal fishing grounds, how stocks, recruitment and fishing mortality are assessed, how fish react to gear, how CHIRP echo sounders, omnidirectional sonar and trawl and seine sensors are read, how the main gears are rigged and handled, how stability, deck hydraulics and STCW-F rules protect vessel and crew, and how rigor mortis, bleeding, ice, RSW, CSW, freezing and the Quality Index Method determine the value of the catch.

What sets this professional diploma apart: an operational, end-to-end approach that follows a fishing trip from planning and fish finding to catch care and first sale; a strong focus on acoustic and satellite tools, 3D seabed charting and net instrumentation; practical coverage of vessel stability, deck machinery, survival and firefighting on fishing vessels; dedicated attention to on-board quality, from Ikejime bleeding to HACCP on factory vessels; a clear grounding in UNCLOS, RFMOs, IUU rules, VMS and MSC schemes; up-to-date innovations such as smart FADs, AI species recognition, LED fishing and fleet decarbonisation; and a final project in which you plan a complete commercial fishing campaign.

Program typeProfessional diploma
ModeOnline
Duration800 hours
Modules8
Start1 December

Program highlights

  • Finding fish: SST fronts, upwelling, chlorophyll, altimetry and stock dynamics.
  • Acoustic tools: CHIRP echo sounders, sonar, net sensors and 3D seabed charting.
  • Gear operation: trawls, purse seines, longlines and gillnets with selectivity devices.
  • Vessel and crew safety: stability, deck hydraulics, STCW-F and emergencies.
  • Catch quality: bleeding, ice, RSW, CSW, freezing, QIM and HACCP on board.
  • Final project: the full plan of a commercial fishing trip for a target species.
Syllabus

Syllabus of the Professional Diploma in Commercial Fishing Operations and Advanced Techniques

8 modules. Select a module to see its content.

Module 1

Operational oceanography, fisheries biology and fish behavior

  • 1.1. Physical oceanography applied to finding fishing grounds: sea surface temperature (SST), thermal fronts, upwelling and salinity gradients
  • 1.2. Biology and ecology of commercial pelagic, demersal and benthic species
  • 1.3. Fish behavior around fishing gear: responses to visual, acoustic and olfactory stimuli and rheotaxis inside the net
  • 1.4. Interpreting real-time satellite data: chlorophyll-a concentration, altimetry (sea level anomalies) and ocean currents
  • 1.5. Marine population dynamics: stock assessment, recruitment, natural mortality (M) and fishing mortality (F)
  • 1.6. Climate change, large-scale climate events (El Niño and La Niña) and their effect on the migration and abundance of fish stocks
  • 1.7. Principles of gear selectivity and reducing impacts on the seabed and non-target species
  • 1.8. Population dynamics of commercial species
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 2

Acoustic detection, electronic technology and fisheries sonar

  • 2.1. Underwater acoustics applied to fishing: frequency, beam width, sound propagation and attenuation in seawater
  • 2.2. Advanced fishing echo sounders: CHIRP technology, multi-frequency, gain calibration and bottom and species discrimination
  • 2.3. Omnidirectional and sector fishing sonars: reading echograms, estimating school tonnage and target tracking
  • 2.4. Trawl sensors and gear instrumentation (trawl positioning systems): horizontal and vertical opening, tension, codend filling and door geometry
  • 2.5. Purse seine sensors: lead line depth, net temperature and sinking speed
  • 2.6. Marine geographic information systems, 3D seabed charting software (TimeZero, Olex) and trolling route plotting
  • 2.7. Maintenance and troubleshooting of transducers, NMEA networks, bridge consoles and marine communication systems
  • 2.8. Interpreting echoes and species
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 3

Design, materials and operation of pelagic and demersal fishing gear

  • 3.1. Fishing textile materials: polyamide (nylon), high-performance polyethylene (Dyneema, Spectra) and polyester, abrasion resistance and buoyancy
  • 3.2. Design and mechanics of pelagic and bottom trawls: netting calculations, trawl doors, bridles and sweeps
  • 3.3. Purse seining: net design, float line, lead line, purse line, hauling and stacking with a power block
  • 3.4. Surface and deep longlining: mainlines, branch lines, hook selection (circle versus J hooks), automatic baiting and hydraulic hauling
  • 3.5. Gillnets and trammel nets: netting design, mesh size selection, buoyancy and ballast and operation in different current conditions
  • 3.6. Turtle excluder devices (TEDs) and bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) in trawls
  • 3.7. Repairing, rigging, hanging and maintaining netting on deck
  • 3.8. Fishing gear selectivity
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 4

Fishing vessel handling, deck hydraulics and maritime safety

  • 4.1. Fishing vessel stability under extreme loading: free surface effect, suspended weights and water on deck
  • 4.2. Deck hydraulic systems: variable-flow piston pumps, trawl winches, purse winches, net haulers and handling cranes
  • 4.3. Steering and maneuvering while shooting and hauling gear in bad weather
  • 4.4. Preventive maintenance of marine engines, propulsion systems and auxiliary power plants on board
  • 4.5. The STCW-F Convention for fishing vessel personnel and safety rules for work on deck
  • 4.6. Life-saving equipment, emergency response on board, survival at sea and firefighting on fishing vessels
  • 4.7. Dynamic positioning and automation in fishing maneuvers
  • 4.8. Fishing vessel stability
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 5

Catch handling on board, refrigeration and quality control

  • 5.1. Biochemistry of fish flesh: rigor mortis, enzymatic breakdown, oxidative rancidity and bacterial spoilage
  • 5.2. Slaughter and bleeding on board: the Ikejime method, gutting and efficient washing of the catch
  • 5.3. Chilled storage systems: flake ice, refrigerated seawater (RSW) and chilled seawater (CSW)
  • 5.4. Quick freezing on board: plate freezers, brine freezing and air blast tunnels
  • 5.5. Quality control of fishery products: the Quality Index Method (QIM), sensory analysis and hold temperature monitoring
  • 5.6. International food safety standards on factory vessels: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
  • 5.7. Automated processing on board: heading machines, filleting machines, weight graders and vacuum packing
  • 5.8. First sale and fish auctions
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 6

International regulation, maritime governance and sustainable fishing

  • 6.1. The legal framework of fishing: the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and exclusive economic zones (EEZ)
  • 6.2. Regulation and the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and port state inspections (PSMA)
  • 6.3. Regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs): total allowable catches (TAC), minimum mesh sizes and biological closures
  • 6.4. Vessel monitoring systems: VMS, fishing AIS and electronic logbooks (ERS)
  • 6.5. Fisheries sustainability schemes: Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Friend of the Sea and fishery improvement projects (FIP)
  • 6.6. Fisheries economics: operating costs (fuel, provisions, maintenance), catch per unit effort (CPUE) and international markets
  • 6.7. Interactions between fishing and marine mammals and seabirds and bycatch mitigation
  • 6.8. Quotas and total allowable catches
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 7

Emerging technologies, offshore aquaculture and fisheries innovation

  • 7.1. Smart fish aggregating devices (FADs): satellite geolocation and integrated echo sounders
  • 7.2. Artificial intelligence and computer vision for automatic species identification on deck and biomass estimation
  • 7.3. Fishing with underwater LED lights: phototaxis for small pelagics and squid (jigging)
  • 7.4. Synergies between commercial fishing and offshore aquaculture: capture of juveniles for on-growing and multipurpose vessels
  • 7.5. Decarbonising the fishing fleet: alternative fuel engines, rigid and auxiliary sails and hull optimization
  • 7.6. Marine robotics in fishing: ROVs to inspect snagged gear and drones to spot fish schools
  • 7.7. Digital traceability with blockchain from origin to final consumer
  • 7.8. Fishing with alternative energy
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 8

Fleet operations management and integrated fishing trip project

  • 8.1. Planning fishing trips: weather analysis, supplies calculation, crew management and boarding logistics
  • 8.2. Occupational health and safety management on fishing vessels under ILO and IMO guidelines
  • 8.3. Energy efficiency audits on board: slow steaming and fuel used by the fishing gear
  • 8.4. Financial management and sales: fish market auctions, direct sales to processors, land-based cold chain logistics and export
  • 8.5. Communications at sea: GMDSS protocols, distress alerts (EPIRB, SART) and automated catch reporting
  • 8.6. Keeping the vessel's operating records, class surveys (DNV, ABS, RINA) and seaworthiness certificates
  • 8.7. Presentation of the fishing trip plan
  • 8.8. Integrated project: complete design of a commercial fishing trip or campaign for a given species and area, including choice of vessel, gear design and set-up, acoustic and satellite fish-finding strategy, on-board catch handling plan (HACCP and RSW), cost and CPUE analysis and compliance with the relevant regulatory or RFMO framework
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Plan your pace

Duration and format of the Professional Diploma in Commercial Fishing Operations and Advanced Techniques

It is 800 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.

4 h30 h
With 12 h per week
15
months to finish
67 weeks
weeks in total

This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.

Faculty

Academic leadership and faculty

The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.

Dra. Marina AlcoverDr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Ing. Diego CifuentesEng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Cap. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerDr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dra. Nuria LlobregatDr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Ing. Javier BañulsEng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Ing. Sofía MarquinaEng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Ing. Tomás RieraEng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration Coordinator
Objectives

Objectives of the Professional Diploma in Commercial Fishing Operations and Advanced Techniques

01Improve the management and sustainability of fishery resources, applying responsible and selective fishing practices that protect non-target species and vulnerable habitats.
02Implement innovative technologies in catching and processing, such as computer vision and artificial intelligence for automatic species and size sorting that reduces discards.
03Master national and international fisheries rules, identifying and applying the relevant laws, quotas, closures and permitted gears in each jurisdiction.
04Develop advanced navigation and maritime safety skills, interpreting detailed weather information to plan routes and reduce risks in adverse conditions.
05Diagnose and fix common faults in fishing equipment and vessels, identifying basic mechanical, electrical and hydraulic failures and restoring operation.
06Assess quality and market fishery products efficiently, managing freshness, traceability and health rules along the value chain from catch to consumer.
Careers

Career opportunities after the Professional Diploma in Commercial Fishing Operations and Advanced Techniques

01Fishing master or skipper of offshore vessels, after obtaining the corresponding official certificate
02Fishing operations manager optimizing catch strategies and data analysis
03Fisheries observer monitoring fishing activity and collecting scientific data
04Fisheries inspector checking compliance on land and at sea
05Consultant in sustainable fishing, technology and fisheries projects
06Quality, processing and sales specialist in the seafood value chain
Frequently asked questions

Questions about the Professional Diploma in Commercial Fishing Operations and Advanced Techniques

The commercial fishing sector: skippers, crew, fishing companies, observers, inspectors and consultants who want to run more efficient, safer and more sustainable fishing operations.

Commercial fishing. The content covers professional fleets, from small-scale vessels to offshore trawlers, seiners and longliners.

No. Navalis Institute teaches the operational and technical content; fishing skipper and officer certificates are issued by the competent maritime authorities after their own training and examinations.

This program takes the operational view of a whole fishing trip: finding fish, handling gear, vessel safety, catch quality and campaign planning. The gear technology diploma goes deeper into net design, calculation and repair.

Yes. It is delivered online with round-the-clock access to content, discussion forums and live virtual sessions.

Yes. A full module covers bleeding, chilling with ice, RSW and CSW, freezing systems, the Quality Index Method, HACCP on factory vessels and first sale.

Through practical exercises and case studies in each module and a final project: the complete plan of a commercial fishing trip or campaign for a given species and area.

A Navalis Institute professional diploma certifying the 800 hours of the program, together with the fishing campaign plan you develop in the final project.

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Online admission

Admission process

No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.

Entry requirements
  • Profile: a technical qualification in fishing or aquaculture or an equivalent qualification, or at least two years of proven professional experience in the fishing sector, with basic knowledge of marine biology, fishing gear and maritime safety.
  • Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
  • Technical resources: a computer with broadband internet, an up-to-date browser and a PDF viewer.
  • Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
  1. 01
    Application
    Your details, background and documents.
  2. 02
    Instant review
    We check that everything is complete and in order.
  3. 03
    Enrollment
    Choose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Start my applicationFrom $440 deposit

Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.

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