Elements and Performance Criteria

The range of variables places the competency in context and allows for differences between enterprises and workplaces, including practices, knowledge and requirements. The range of variables also provides a focus for assessment and relates to the unit as a whole. The following variables may be present.

Specifications of post-harvest stock:
· quality assurance
· alive or dead
· quantity
· colour and appearance
· size, weight and grades
· hygiene standards
· temperature ranges
· species
· absence of pests or contaminants
· industry standards
· other customer requirements.

Stock:
· finfish, crustaceans, molluscs, aquatic reptiles, amphibians, miscellaneous aquatic invertebrates, micro-algae, seaweeds and aquatic plants
· adults, larvae, juveniles, seeds, spat, hatchlings, broodstock, fry, fingerlings, sporophytes and seedlings.

SOPs:
· quality assurance
· care of stock
· hygiene routines and standards
· contamination controls
· temperature ranges
· weighing, using zero balance or scales
· channels of communication.

Post-harvest treatments:
· slaughtering and killing:
· using humane techniques
· according to ESD principles
· according to seafood industry and aquaculture codes of conduct
· according to food industry regulations
· washing and hydrating
· sorting, grading or removing half pearls from molluscs
· cool room storage
· purging and depurating
· packing
· icing, chilling and ice slurry
· dips, drips and sprays
· anaesthetics
· meeting quarantine requirements.

Packaging materials:
· foam lining
· container divisions to separate stock
· plastic bags and liners
· ties
· substrate, including plastic mesh, coconut fibre, sawdust, paper cuttings and cotton wool.

Containers:
· bulk bins
· foam eskies
· bags
· boxes, trays and crates
· tanks.

Storage environmental conditions:
· temperature
· humidity
· light
· salinity
· oxygen
· waste products (nitrogenous and carbon dioxide).

Pests:
· rodents
· micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi
· insects.

OHS requirements:
· codes of practice, regulations and/or guidance notes that may apply in a jurisdiction
· enterprise-specific.

ESD practices:
· slaughtering animals humanely
· applying animal welfare ethics
· disposing of undergrade stock and wastes.

Each unit of competency has an evidence guide that relates directly to the performance criteria and the range of variables. Its purpose is to guide assessment of the unit in the workplace and/or training program. The following components provide information to assist this purpose.

Underpinning knowledge
The essential knowledge and understanding a person needs to perform work to the required standard include:
· methods of killing or slaughtering various types of stock or products and other post-harvest treatments
· environmental and biological requirements of live-culture stock held for post-harvest processing
· enterprise quality procedures relating to post-harvest processing
· core temperature, rigour and facilities required for storing stock during and after post-harvest processing
· procedures for depurating and/or purging tank operations
· live fish transport preparation techniques
· humidity levels and their effect on the quality of produce
· hygiene issues in the storage of seafood and aquatic products
· types of cooling systems appropriate to products
· packaging standards relevant to the various distribution channels for aquaculture products.

Practical skills
The essential skills a person needs to perform work to the required standard include:
· handling stock
· determining industry specifications prior to packaging
· weighing, grading, labelling and treating a crop according to market specifications
· ensuring temperature control of produce
· monitoring conditions of storage environment
· delivering produce to an on-farm storage facility
· depurating and/or purging stock
· maintaining post-harvest storage facility hygiene levels
· giving verbal report to the supervisor.

Literacy skills used for:
· reading and interpreting market specifications
· reading and writing labels.

Numeracy skills used for:
· weighing or packing limits/recommendations (ie weights and numbers)
· packing produce and stacking pallets.

Licences may be required if operating:
· vessels
· vehicles
· load-shifting equipment, including forklifts.

Critical aspects of competence
Assessment must confirm the ability to:
· carry out on-farm post-harvest handling of stock safely and to enterprise standards and customer specifications, including grading, depurating, purging, applying relevant treatments, packing, storing and transporting.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:
· post-harvest treatments
· product quality
· SOPs relevant to on-farm post-harvest operations
· storage facility operations.

Interdependent assessment of units
This unit may be assessed after/with:
· SFIAQUA216A - Harvest aquacultured stock
· SFISTOR201B - Prepare and pack stock for live transport.

Context of assessment
Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment and involves a range of processes typically carried out for local species at an aquaculture enterprise.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
· written or oral short-answer testing
· practical exercises
· observation of practical demonstration.

Resources required for assessment
· Resources may include:
· market or product specifications
· harvested stock
· packaging materials
· treatments appropriate to the harvested stock and methods of packing, storage and transport
· equipment necessary for carrying out post-harvest treatments, transport and storage
· SOPs for post-harvest tasks
· cooling equipment and ice
· monitoring equipment.