This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to collect and record routine fishery management data according to agency procedures.

The unit applies to observers who are required to identify, collect and check fishery management data, make estimations and ensure data is completed.

All work must be carried out to comply with workplace procedures, according to state/territory health and safety, food safety, biosecurity and environmental regulations, legislation and standards that apply to the workplace.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

An individual demonstrating competency must satisfy all of the elements and performance criteria in this unit.

There must be evidence that the individual has collected and recorded fishery management data for at least one fishing operation, including:

validating catch, effort and other variables against fishing activity

adhering to safety and environmental requirements during collection

completing data entries that are accurate and reliable.

An individual must be able to demonstrate the knowledge required to perform the tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit. This includes knowledge of:

basic biological features of target species and likely by-catch

health and safety and environmental policies, standards and guidelines relevant to collecting fisheries management data

scientific principles that influence the design of data collection systems

recreational and traditional fishing catches or geographic area

species, other seafood and aquatic products and equipment, and resources relevant to the workplace, sector or geographic area

purposes of fisheries management data collection

manual or electronic data collection requirements relating to catch, effort, species, environment, method, vessel, and time, date and location

work regime and typical equipment used to collect data for target species, product and likely by-catch

importance of, and process for, entering and maintaining accurate records.

Assessment of the skills in this unit of competency must take place under the following conditions:

physical conditions:

skills must be demonstrated in a fishery management data collection setting or an environment that accurately represents workplace conditions

resources, equipment and materials:

resources, equipment and materials suitable for data collection

specifications:

access to legislation and regulations relevant to fishery management data collections

workplace procedures for collecting and recording fishery management data, including advice on health and safety and environmental requirements.

Assessors of this unit must satisfy the requirements for assessors in applicable vocational education and training legislation, frameworks and/or standards.

This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential for performance in this unit of competency but are not explicit in the performance criteria.

Fisheries Observer (OBS)