• Fisheries training should reflect training in basic and applied skills, and should encourage innovation. There is a need to find a balance between training for immediate efficiency and training of innovative capacity. General skills encourage reflectivity and ability to learn from local and global experiences, but specialist knowledge is often needed to deal with urgent issues. The six-week specialist courses are designed to strengthen the understanding of fellows on fundamental aspects of their disciplines and latest developments. The application of existing knowledge through the use of accepted methodologies is the focus of the research project. which fellows carry out in close cooperation with their supervisors.