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.
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:
biodiversity and genetically modified organisms
biosecurity, translocation and quarantine
business or workplace operations, policies and practices
correct marketing names and labelling
environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control
food safety/Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), hygiene and temperature control along chain of custody, and Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) Export Control (Fish) orders
health and welfare of aquatic animals
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 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.
Food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures may include:
Australian Shellfish Sanitation program
equipment design, use, cleaning and maintenance
exporting requirements, including AQIS Export Control (Fish) orders
HACCP, food safety program, and other risk minimisation and quality assurance systems
location, construction and servicing of seafood premises
people, product and place hygiene and sanitation requirements
Primary Products Standard and the Australian Seafood Standard (voluntary)
product labelling, tracing and recall
receipt, storage and transportation of food, including seafood and aquatic products
requirements set out in Australian and New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) Food Standards Code and state and territory food regulations
temperature and contamination control along chain of custody.
ESD principles may include:
applying animal welfare ethics and procedures
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 emissions of greenhouse gases
reducing energy use
reducing use of non-renewable resources
undertaking environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control.
PPE may include:
gloves, mitts or gauntlets, and protective hand and arm covering
protective hair, beard and boot covers
insulated protective clothing for freezers, chillers and refrigeration units
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).
Specifications of post-harvest stock may include:
absence of pests or contaminants
alive or dead, and whole (not processed)
colour and appearance
hygiene standards
industry standards
other customer requirements
quality assurance
quantity
size, weight and grades
species
temperature ranges.
Workplace procedures may include:
care of stock
channels of communication
contamination controls
hygiene routines and standards
quality assurance
temperature ranges
weighing, using zero balance or scales.
Basic post-harvest activities may include:
anaesthesia or sedation
cool room storage
depuration or shellfish sanitation
dips, drips and sprays
icing, chilling, ice slurry or refrigeration
meeting quarantine or biosecurity requirements
on-facility transport of livestock or product
packing
preparation for off-facility transport of dead stock or product
purging or holding (live)
sorting, grading or removing half pearls from molluscs
washing, cleaning and hydrating.
Packaging materials may include:
container divisions to separate stock
foam lining
plastic bags and liners
substrate, including plastic mesh, coconut fibre, sawdust, paper cuttings and cotton wool
ties.
Containers may include:
bags
boxes, trays and crates
bulk bins
foam eskies
tanks.
Environmental conditions in the storage facility may include:
humidity
light
oxygen
protection from contamination and pests
salinity
temperature
waste products (nitrogenous and carbon dioxide).
Pests may include:
microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi
insects
rodents.

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:
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
storage facility operations
work procedures relevant to on-farm post-harvest operations.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment and involve a range of processes typically carried out for local species at an aquaculture enterprise.

Resources may include:
cooling equipment and ice
equipment necessary for carrying out post-harvest treatments, transport and storage
harvested stock
market or product specifications
monitoring equipment
packaging materials
work procedures for post-harvest tasks
treatments appropriate to the harvested stock and methods of packing, storage and transport.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
demonstration
practical exercises
written or oral short-answer testing.
Guidance information for assessment
This unit may be assessed holistically with other units within a qualification.