Application
Licences may be required if operating: load-shifting equipment, including forklifts vehicles vessels. All enterprise or workplace procedures and activities are carried out according to relevant government regulations, licensing and other compliance requirements, including occupational health and safety (OHS) guidelines and ecologically sustainable development (ESD) principles. Equipment operation, maintenance, repairs and calibrations are undertaken in a safe manner that conforms to manufacturer instructions. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is selected, checked, used and maintained. |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Prepare for manipulation of culture or holding environment | 1.1. Options for manipulating culture or holding environment and contingency plans are confirmed with supervisor. 1.2. Required water treatment equipment is collected and checked for serviceability, repaired and calibrated if necessary. 1.3. Water treatment equipment is moved to site, positioned in relation to culture or holding structure and readied for use. 1.4. Water and weather conditions are observed and conditions which could adversely impact on the wellbeing of stock are reported to supervisor. |
2. Manipulate culture or holding environment | 2.1. Water treatment equipment is operated correctly. 2.2. Stock holding structures or culture environments are adjusted to suit stock. 2.3. Basic water quality and environmental factors are re-checked and noted against requirements for stock. 2.4. Stock behaviour is observed and abnormal activity reported to supervisor. 2.5. Work practices are employed to minimise stock stress or damage. 2.6. Automatic or mechanised equipment is operated and maintained. |
3. Complete post-environment manipulation activities | 3.1. Clean up of work area, including repairs and storage of equipment, is supervised, and condition report prepared. 3.2. Relevant environment manipulation data, observations or information are recorded legibly and accurately, and any out of range or unusual records checked. 3.3. Compliance and other required reports are prepared and conveyed to senior personnel advising of the effectiveness of environment manipulation, and recommendations made for improvements. 3.4. Feedback on own work performance is sought from supervisor and opportunities to improve identified. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
communicating with supervisor on options for manipulating the culture environment and contingency plans communicating ideas on possible improvements operating and calibrating water treatment equipment providing oral reports and written records to supervisor on operation effectiveness and any irregularities recognising normal and gross abnormal stock behaviour. Literacy skills used for: interpreting workplace documents and equipment according to manufacturer guidelines recording contingency plans and water treatment options used. Numeracy skills used for: basic calculations used in altering culture environment reading machines, meters or test kits when making adjustments to culture environment or calibrating equipment. |
Required knowledge |
basic water quality tests to be undertaken effects of farm wastes/effluent on environment effects of water and weather conditions on stock and OHS of employees methods for culture environment manipulation normal and abnormal stock behaviour operation and maintenance of automatic or mechanised equipment options for manipulating the culture environment significance of basic water quality factors and environmental (e.g. weather) factors on stock health and wellbeing water treatment equipment maintenance and repairs water treatment equipment operating methods. |
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit | Assessment must confirm the ability to: manipulate the environment within the stock culture or holding structure according to supervisor instructions and enterprise procedures, and ensure stock are reared in optimal conditions. Assessment must confirm knowledge of: calibrating, testing and monitoring procedures obvious signs of ill health or abnormal behaviour in stock water quality and environmental factors that can affect stock water treatment equipment operation consistent with work procedures and manufacturer guidelines. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment. It is best assessed over a period of time so that adjustments are made in response to a range of water quality and environmental factors typically impacting on aquaculture enterprises in the region. Resources may include: culture species environmental requirements and water quality factors culture structures with/in water containing stock data sheets for recording information on adjustments to culture environments water treatment equipment, enterprise procedures and manufacturer guidelines for operation work procedures for manipulating stock culture environment. |
Method of assessment | The following assessment methods are suggested: demonstration practical exercises project work written or oral short-answer testing. |
Guidance information for assessment | This unit may be assessed holistically with other units within a qualification. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Relevant government regulations, licensing and other compliance requirements may include: | biosecurity, translocation and quarantine environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control health and welfare of aquatic animals safety at sea and pollution control OHS hazard identification, risk assessment and control. |
OHS guidelines may include: | appropriate workplace provision of first aid kits and fire extinguishers codes of practice, regulations and/or guidance notes which may apply in a jurisdiction or industry sector enterprise-specific OHS procedures, policies or standards hazard and risk assessment of workplace, maintenance activities and control measures induction or training of staff, contractors and visitors in relevant OHS procedures and/or requirements to allow them to carry out their duties in a safe manner OHS training register safe lifting, carrying and handling techniques, including manual handling, and the handling and storage of hazardous substances safe systems and procedures for outdoor work, including protection from solar radiation, fall protection, confined space entry and the protection of people in the workplace systems and procedures for the safe maintenance of property, machinery and equipment, including hydraulics and exposed moving parts the appropriate use, maintenance and storage of PPE. |
ESD principles may include: | applying animal welfare ethics and procedures control of effluents, chemical residues, contaminants, wastes and pollution control of weeds, pests, predators and diseases, and stock health maintenance improving energy efficiency increasing use of renewable, recyclable and recoverable resources minimising noise, dust, light or odour emissions preventing live cultured or held organisms from escaping into environment reducing emissions of greenhouse gases reducing energy use reducing use of non-renewable resources undertaking environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control undertaking facility quarantine, biosecurity and translocation of livestock and genetic material using and recycling of water, and maintaining water quality. |
PPE may include: | buoyancy vest or personal floatation device (PFD) hard hat or protective head covering non-slip and waterproof boots (gumboots) or other safety footwear personal locator beacon or Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) protective outdoor clothing for tropical conditions safety harness sun protection (e.g. sun hat, sunscreen and sunglasses) uniforms, overalls or protective clothing (e.g. mesh and waterproof aprons) waterproof clothing (e.g. wet weather gear and waders). |
Culture or holding environment may include: | associated equipment or systems, such as: blowers, aerators, paddlewheels and aspirators greenhouses, hothouses and igloos pest, predator and disease control structures water supply and disposal or effluent systems, including pumps, pipes, canals, channels, settlement ponds and storage dams cages, pontoons, enclosures and pens, including associated moorings, anchors and markers dams, ponds and pools display tanks, aquaria and aquascapes grow out facilities, hatcheries and nurseries harvesting swimways, canals or channels live holding tanks, bins, cages and pens longlines, posts, racks and rails, rafts, fences, socks, trays, sticks, baskets, modules, barrels, bags and panels open, flow-through, closed and semi-closed systems purging or depurating systems tanks, raceways and recirculating systems. |
Options may include: | change water flow rates and exchange water drain and dry out floor lower stock density or harvest stock reduce feeding remove wastes move stock or culture structure to new location rake sediments treat incoming or culture water: aeration dissolved oxygen fertilisers and chemicals filtration hardness pH salinity temperature turbidity. |
Contingency plans may include: | changing weather conditions contaminants or pollutants equipment failures or damage pest, predator or disease infestations power failure stock escapes stock mortalities. |
Water treatment equipment may include: | activated carbon aerators, aspirators and airlifts chlorine or other chemicals fertiliser or lime spreaders filtration: mechanical biofilter chemical foam fractionator pasteurisation pumps, siphons, blowers and fans ultraviolet (UV) or ozone sterilisation. |
Repaired may include: | change of test chemicals and solutions cleaning or replacement of probes replacement of cables. |
Stock may include: | adults, broodstock (ready to breed), seedstock or stockers, eggs and sperm, fertilised eggs, larvae, post-larvae, seed, spat, hatchlings, yearlings, juveniles, fry, fingerlings, yearlings, smolt, sporophytes, seedlings and tissue cultures finfish, crustaceans, molluscs, aquatic reptiles, amphibians, polychaete and oligochaete worms, plankton, micro-algae, seaweed, aquatic plants, live rock, sponges and other aquatic invertebrates for human consumption (seafood), stockers for other farms, stockers for conservation or recreational fishing, display or companion animals (ornamentals), and other products, including pearls, skins, shells, eggs, chemicals and pigments wild caught, hatchery or nursery reared. |
Basic water quality factors may include: | alkalinity ammonia nitrites carbon dioxide dissolved oxygen hardness nitrate and other nitrogenous products pH salinity or conductivity temperature turbidity. |
Environmental factors may include: | activity of pests and predators climatic conditions (e.g. rainfall, amount of cloud cover, and wind direction and speed) contaminants light natural foods tidal or water flow direction and speed wave size and direction. |
Stock behaviour may include: | aggression or cannibalism colour changes feeding piping, darting, flashing or whirling movement reproduction or courtship schooling or individuals swimming. |
Sectors
Unit sector | Aquaculture operations |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Refer to Unit Descriptor