Profession aquaculture cage technician

Aquaculture cage technicians operate in the production of aquatic organisms in water-based (freshwater, brackish water, salt water) on-growing processes in cages.

Personality Type

• Enterprising / Realistic
• Realistic / Investigative

Knowledge

• Rates of growth assessment

  The different methods used to evaluate the growth of most important cultivated species.

• Fish biology

  The study of fish, shellfish or crustacean organisms, categorized into many specialised fields that cover their morphology, physiology, anatomy, behaviour, origins and distribution.

• Pests and diseases

  Types of pests and diseases and the principles of spreading and treating them.

• Fish grading

  The method of how fish are graded according to their different characteristics: specification, size, quality and condition.

• Water currents

  Understand impact of water currents on fish farms, in cages, ponds, lagoons and rivers.

• Operation of lifting gears

  Use of different types of lifting gears, such as winches, telescopic loaders, sea cranes, forklift trucks.

Skills

• Apply fish treatments

  Apply prescribed fish treatments under supervision, including assistance with vaccination immersion and injection procedures.

• Maintain aquaculture cage equipment

  Ensure maintenance of aquaculture cage equipment, by carrying out tasks such as cleaning floats and arranging ropes in cages.

• Maintain grading equipment

  Set up equipment and areas to effectively grade fish according to requirements. Maintain the equipment in a serviceable condition throughout the grading process. Clean and store the equipment after use.

• Handle waste

  Handle and dispose of bio and chemical wastes in accordance with regulations.

• Carry out feeding operations

  Carry out manual feeding. Calibrate and operate automatic and computerised feeding systems.

• Perform diving interventions

  Perform hyperbaric interventions at a maximum pressure of 4 atmospheres. Prepare and review the personal equipment and the auxiliary material; perform and supervise the dive; realise maintenance of the diving equipment and auxiliary material; apply the security measures to assure the divers security on the realisation of low deep immersions.

• Prepare for small craft operation

  Prepare for personnel operation of small craft, both with licence and without licence.

• Implement fin fish feeding regimes

  Implement daily fin fish feeding regimes to take account of environmental variations. Check feeding regimes are followed through the accurate implementation of feeding procedures. Implement adjustments to feeding regimes to take account of fluctuations in production performance and variations in environmental conditions. Control specialist feeding regimes to support specified production requirements. Investigate changes in feeding behaviour to determine cause and required corrective action.

• Monitor fish health status

  Monitor the health of fish, based on feeding and general behaviour. Interpret environmental parameters and analyse mortalities.

• Identify common aquatic species diseases

  Identify common aquatic species diseases. Observe and describe common symptoms and lesions.

• Monitor feeding behaviour

  Monitor feeding behaviour of farm animals. Collect information on the growth of the animals, and forecast future growth. Monitor and assess biomass taking mortality into account.

• Observe abnormal fish behaviour

  Observe, describe and monitor abnormal fish behaviour in respect of feeding, swimming, surfacing.

• Apply standard feeding and nutrition protocols

  Make up feed on-site. Feed animals by hand or with feeding machines according to agreed protocols. Monitor animal feeding behaviour.

• Screen live fish deformities

  Screen for deformities in live fish including larvae

• Carry out fish disease prevention measures

  Carry out disease prevention measures for fish, molluscs, and crustaceans for land-based and water-based aquaculture facilities.

• Operate small craft

  Operate small craft used for transport and feeding.

• Use water disinfection equipment

  Operate equipment for water disinfection, using different methods and techniques, such as mechanical filtration, depending on needs.

• Carry out preparations for fish disease specialist

  Prepare environment and equipment for fish disease specialist treatments, including vaccination treatments.

• Maintain diving equipment

  Perform maintenance actions, including small repairs, on diving equipment.

• Perform water chemistry analysis

  Perform water chemistry analysis

• Perform water treatments

  Perform regularly water testing, ensuring that water management and filtration processes follow reasonable management practices, industry standards, or commonly accepted farming practices. Record previous water contaminations, the source of contamination and contamination remedied. Take mitigation measures to guard against further contamination.

• Monitor feeding systems

  Make sure that feeders, feeding system and monitoring instruments are working. Analyse feedback from the instruments.

• Swim

  Move through water by means of the limbs.

• Carry out maintenance on cage equipment and machinery

  Carry out maintenance on cage equipment and machinery, such as containment systems, lifting gear, transportation gear, disinfection equipment.

• Check diving equipment

  Check diving equipment for valid certification to ensure its suitability. Ensure that any diving equipment is examined by a competent person before use, at least once on each day on which it is to be used. Ensure that it is adequately tested and repaired.

• Monitor fish mortality rates

  Monitor fish mortalities and assess possible causes.

• Measure water flow

  Measure water flow, water intakes and catchments.

• Control aquatic production environment

  Assess the impact of biological conditions such as algae and fouling organisms by managing water intakes, catchments and oxygen use.

• Assess cage water quality

  Analyse the quality of water by monitoring the state of temperature and oxygen, among other parameters.

• Preserve fish samples for diagnosis

  Collect and preserve larval, fish and mollusc samples or lesions for diagnosis by fish disease specialists.

• Measure water quality parameters

  Quality assure water by taking into consideration various elements, such as temperature.

• Supervise cage net systems

  Supervise cage net changing and net repairs. Maintain and clean floats and mooring ropes.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB