Plans, organises, controls, coordinates and performs farming operations to breed and raise fish and other aquatic stock.

Skill Level

1

Specialisations

• Fish Farmer
• Hatchery Manager (Fish)
• Mussel Farmer
• Oyster Farmer
• Seafood Farme

Unless you are exempt in very limited circumstances, you are required to have a positive Skills Assessment to apply for the visas listed above.

Skills Assessment authority for Aquacultural Farmer is Vocational Education and Training Assess (VETASSESS). To have a positive skills assessment, you must meet the following criteria:

• Three pathways for skills assessment by VETASSESS
  • Pathway A – Qualification(s) assessed at AQF Bachelor degree or higher degree with a highly relevant field of study and at least one year of post-qualification highly relevant employment at an appropriate skill level in the last five years
  • Pathway B – Qualification(s) assessed at AQF Bachelor degree or higher degree with an additional qualification at least Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Diploma level in a highly relevant field of study and at least two years of post qualification highly relevant employment at an appropriate skill level in the last five years;
  • Pathway C – Qualification(s) assessed at AQF Bachelor degree or higher degree without a highly relevant field of study and at least three years of post-qualification highly relevant employment at an appropriate skill level in the last five years; Certification Panel
• Note: For pre-qualification employment (if all of your employment is before your qualification assessed at the AQF bachelor degree level), five years of highly relevant employment in addition to at least one year of highly relevant employment at an appropriate skill level in the last five years.

plan, organise, control, coordinate and perform farming operations to breed and raise fish and other aquatic stock.

Tasks

• planning and coordinating the operation of hatcheries to produce fish fry, seed oysters, crayfish, marron and prawns taking into account environmental and market factors
• monitoring the environment to maintain optimal growing conditions
• identifying and controlling environmental toxins and diseases
• monitoring stock growth rates to determine when to harvest
• transporting fish, crayfish, marron, prawns and sticks of seed oysters to new tanks, ponds, cages and floating net pens
• directing and overseeing the harvesting, grading and packaging of fish, oysters and other aquatic stock
• organising the sale, purchase and transportation of fish stock
• maintaining and evaluating records of farming activities, monitoring market activity and planning production accordingly
• managing business capital including budgeting, taxation, debt and loan management
• may select, train and supervise staff and contractors

Skill Level

Most occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification. At least five years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualification. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).

Occupations in this Group

• 121111 Aquaculture Farmer