Elements and Performance Criteria

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.

EVIDENCE GUIDE
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.