Assessor Resource

SFIAQUA213C
Monitor stock and environmental conditions

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: April 2024


This unit has application to both closed and open stock culture systems.

Licences may be required if operating:

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.

This unit of competency involves monitoring cultured and held stock behaviour and health, routine water quality and environmental parameters. It covers interpreting instructions, using basic monitoring equipment appropriately and recording and communicating results and observations to appropriate individuals. The majority of these readings would be taken in the field or in the culture or holding structure, although some may involve taking samples and preparing them for submission to an external laboratory for testing.

Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements may apply to this unit. Therefore it will be necessary to check with the relevant state or territory regulators for current licensing, legislative or regulatory requirements before undertaking this unit.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)

Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.



Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

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:

monitor stock behaviour and general health, basic water quality factors and environmental parameters for indications that they are outside of the acceptable range as determined by the enterprise.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:

sampling and monitoring procedures relevant to the enterprise

stock behaviour and general health and how it is affected by changes in water quality

water quality factors and environmental parameters relevant to the aquaculture enterprise.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace while monitoring is undertaken, or in a simulated work environment. It is recommended that assessment is conducted over a series of monitoring sessions.

Resources may include:

culture or holding structures with/in water containing stock exhibiting a range of quality parameters

data sheets for recording information

environmental parameter range for stock species and culture or holding structures

monitoring and sampling equipment for culture or holding stock and water

monitoring schedules

range for water quality factors

test kits.

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.

Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)

Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

Required skills

collecting samples of stock

collecting water and other environmental samples

communicating ideas on possible improvements

communicating with supervisor on monitoring activities

operating, maintaining and calibrating basic monitoring equipment

providing oral reports and written monitoring records on out of range and non-compliances to supervisor

recognising normal and abnormal stock behaviour and environmental conditions.

Literacy skills used for:

reading and interpreting monitoring schedules and enterprise procedures

recording and reviewing water quality data or environmental condition reports

recording monitoring information.

Numeracy skills used for:

basic calculations used in measuring water quality and dilutions

reading machines, meters or test kits.

Required knowledge

basic monitoring equipment:

calibration and operating methods

maintenance and basic repairs

options and limitations

basic sampling equipment:

maintenance and basic repairs

options and limitations

basic water quality factors and their impact on stock health

basic water quality tests to be undertaken

effects of environmental parameters and weather conditions on stock and OHS of employees

effects of farm wastes or effluent on environment

normal and abnormal stock behaviour.

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.

Cultured or held 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.

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 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).

Monitoring schedule may include:

culture or holding structures and monitoring site

environmental and weather conditions

equipment required

general observations, such as state or activity of culture or holding equipment, and behaviour and health of stock

basic routine water quality factors

time of day, frequency and monitoring period.

Stock behaviour may include:

aggressive or cannibalistic

colour changes

feeding

piping, darting, flashing or whirling movement

predator avoidance

reproduction or courtship

schooling or individuals

swimming (finfish), crawling (crustaceans or gastropods) or gaping (bivalves).

General health may include:

general appearance (e.g. colour, appendages, external parasites, skin or shell damage)

growth rates.

Routine water quality factors may include:

alkalinity

ammonia, total ammonia and nitrogen

dissolved oxygen

hardness and carbonate hardness

major organisms in surrounding environment

nitrate

nitrite

pH

salinity

temperature

tides, water flow and wave action

turbidity (e.g. secchi disc and transparency)

weather, rain and wind.

Environmental parameters may include:

activity of pests and predators

climatic conditions (e.g. rainfall, amount of cloud cover, and wind direction and speed)

contaminants

light:

conductivity

dissolved oxygen

pH

salinity

temperature

natural foods

tidal flow direction and speed

wave size and direction.

Basic equipment may include:

chemical test kits

electronic machines or meters to measure:

conductivity

dissolved oxygen

pH

salinity

temperature

litmus paper and pH test kit

measuring devices:

ruler

scales

volumetric

refractometer, density stick and hydrometer

sample jars or buckets

sampling nets

secchi disc

thermometer

water collector.

Calibrated may include:

adjustment of pH references or other settings for calibration and preparations of calibration solution for calibration of NO2 meter.

Basic repairs may include:

replacement of cables

replacement of probes.

Data or record sheets or books may include:

basic parameters to be measured

date and time

general observations

monitoring schedule

person's name and signature.

Monitoring site may include:

inlet or effluent water

on- or off-farm (samples taken for measurement in laboratory)

upstream/downstream of culture structure

within or external to culture structure.

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Monitoring schedule is confirmed with supervisor and tasks noted for determining stock behaviour, general health, routine water quality factors and environmental parameters. 
Required basic equipment is collected, calibrated and checked for serviceability. 
Basic repairs are made to sub-standard equipment. 
Equipment and data or record sheets are prepared for use at monitoringsite. 
Water quality tests are undertaken at sites according to monitoring schedule. 
Visual inspections of stock behaviour and other observations are undertaken. 
Sampling of stock to assess general health is undertaken. 
Water and/or stock samples are prepared according to laboratory specifications and submitted to laboratory for analysis. 
Work areas are cleaned, including checks, repairs and storage of equipment. 
Relevant monitoring observations or information is recorded legibly and accurately, and any out of range or unusual records are checked. 
Non-compliances are conveyed to senior personnel and recommendations for improvements made. 
Feedback on own work performance is sought from supervisor and opportunities to improve identified. 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

SFIAQUA213C - Monitor stock and environmental conditions
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Assessment Record Sheet

SFIAQUA213C - Monitor stock and environmental conditions

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: