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Elements and Performance Criteria

  1. Plan for production
  2. Prepare for initiation and maintenance of algal or live-feed cultures
  3. Monitor and maintain culture production
  4. Harvest culture
  5. Complete culture production activities

Required Skills

Required skills

altering the physiochemical environment and nutriment formulae or media to meet the culture species requirements throughout the culture period

communicating with senior personnel on production schedule labour and resource requirements

communicating operational guidelines to staff

coordinating algal or livefeed production and staff

identifying potential improvements

providing feedback to staff on performance

reporting orally and in writing on production of algae or livefeeds to senior personnel

recognising signs of health or ill health in species and mitigation methods

researching options for improvement

Literacy skills used for

interpreting the production schedule

recording information relating to algal or livefeed production and harvest

researching mechanisation or automation options

writing reports for senior personnel on the algal or livefeed production process

Numeracy skills used for

calculating inoculation culture to achieve desired stocking density

calculating the culture period for the species

calculating volumes

completing production records

Required knowledge

inoculation culture required to achieve stocking density

nutriment formulae or media requirements for species during culture period

operation process for effective production of algal or livefeed cultures including setting up initiating and breeding monitoring health and growth harvesting and cleaning up

options for mechanisation or automation of process or activity

physiochemical requirements for the culture species

services provided by specialised contract services

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

monitor all aspects of the production process

prepare nutriment formulae or media

coordinate staff to achieve the efficient and successful production of algal or livefeed cultures

treat culture water

Assessment must confirm knowledge of

operation process for effective production of algal or livefeed cultures including setting up initiating and breeding monitoring health and growth harvesting and cleaning up

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment The inoculation cultures used should reflect those typically grown by aquaculture enterprises in the region

Resources may include

inoculum culture

monitoring equipment

nutriment formulae or media

production and harvest equipment

production vessels and water treatments

staff to coordinate

water sampling tests

Method of assessment

The following assessment methods are suggested

case study analysis

practical exercises

project work or scenario based

written or oral shortanswer testing

Guidance information for assessment

This unit may be assessed holistically with RTEA Coordinate worksite activities and other units within a qualification

This unit may be assessed holistically with RTE3704A Coordinate worksite activities, and 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.

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 or hatchery or nursery reared.

Relevant government regulations, licensing and other compliance requirements may include:

biodiversity and genetically modified organisms

biosecurity, translocation and quarantine

business or workplace operations, policies and practices

environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control

OHS hazard identification, risk assessment and control.

OHS guidelines may include:

appropriate workplace provision of first aid kits and fire extinguishers

clean, uncluttered, hygienic workplace

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:

control of effluents, chemical residues, contaminants, wastes and pollution

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 energy use

reducing emissions of greenhouse gases

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:

hard hat or protective head covering

non-slip and waterproof boots (gumboots) or other safety footwear

protective eyewear, glasses and face mask

uniforms, overalls or protective clothing (e.g. mesh and waterproof aprons).

Production schedule may include:

production vessel or structure to use

production method:

batch

continuous

other

semi-continuous

quality, including bacteria-free, growth rate, size and age

quantities (e.g. cells/ml, organisms/ml)

types of cultures, including species.

Risk factors may include:

contamination

damage to equipment

equipment breakdown

insufficient cultures

loss of cultures

power loss.

Production vessels or structures may include:

concrete or earthen ponds

fibreglass or plastic tanks or tubes

glassware

plastic bags

plastic-lined pools.

Other equipment may include:

aeration, carbon dioxide addition

lights

production vessel holder

temperature-controlled room.

Treated water may include:

aeration

chemical (e.g. change pH, hardness and salinity)

heating or cooling

micro-filtration

ozone

pre-conditioning (left to stand with aeration).

Inoculation cultures may include:

brine shrimp (Artemia and Parartemia)

copepods

Daphnia

mosquitoes, beetles or other insects

nematodes

polychaetes or other annelids (worms)

rotifers

various species of micro-algae

zooplankton.

Nutriment formulae or media may include:

batch or continuous dosing

feeds, including micro-algae, pellets, powders and emulsions

nutrients, fertilisers or other enrichment chemicals or formulae.

Physio-chemical requirements of the culture organism may include:

carbon dioxide

dissolved oxygen

hardness

light

mechanical or biological filtration

nutriment formulae or media

pH

salinity

temperature

water flow.

Culture health may include:

contaminants, including ciliates, males in rotifer cultures and unwanted species in micro-algal cultures

density of organisms (numbers per litre or millilitre)

feeding activity

growth and appearance

swimming activity.

Harvesting equipment may include:

buckets

nets, sieves or screens (mesh size generally below 100µm)

pumps

scoops

siphons.

Wastes may include:

dead or dying organisms

other contaminants, including soil and organic debris

uneaten nutriments.