Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to clean fish in a commercial environment. It includes the ability to prepare and clean a work area, remove scales, gill and guts from fish, and store or display product.

The unit applies to individuals who undertake routine tasks in cleaning and preparing fish in a seafood processing environment under the direction of a supervisor.

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.

Pre-requisite Unit

Nil

Unit Sector

Seafood Processing (PRO)

Elements and Performance Criteria

Foundation Skills

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.

Unit Mapping Information

Links

Companion Volumes, including Implementation Guides, are available at VETNet: - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=e31d8c6b-1608-4d77-9f71-9ee749456273

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Performance Evidence

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

There must be evidence that the individual has cleaned and removed the scales, gills and guts of a minimum of eight fish, including flat and round fish or fish of different sizes, on at least one occasion, including:

• cleaning and maintaining a hygienic workplace
• communicating with supervisor on fishing cleaning activities
• handling fish and fish cleaning equipment safely and hygienically
• visually recognising signs of spoilage, common defects, diseases and parasites
• displaying or storing cleaned fish with correct labelling.

Knowledge Evidence

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:

• personal, workplace and product hygiene principles that apply when cleaning fish in a commercial fish processing facility
• food safety procedures and regulations that apply when handling and storing fish
• fish species and fish parts, including gills, gonads, scales, roe, kidneys and swim bladder
• spoilage pattern and common fish defects, diseases and parasites for species being cleaned
• health and safety requirements when using knives and cutting equipment, and lifting and handling boxes of fish and fish products
• safe manual handling techniques used for cleaning fish in minimising the risk of repetitive, forceful, constrained or awkward postures
• workplace quality system procedures addressing productivity specifications, fish identification and traceability.

Assessment Conditions

Assessment of skills must take place under the following conditions:

• physical conditions:

• skills must be demonstrated in a seafood processing workplace or an environment that accurately represents workplace conditions

• resources, equipment and materials:

• personal protective equipment
• cleaning materials and equipment
• a range of knives and cutting tools and fish cleaning related equipment
• fish to be cleaned
• running cold potable water

• specifications: 

• work instructions and workplace procedures for cleaning fish; procedures include advice on quality, food safety and health and safety requirements

• relationships: 

• evidence of interactions with supervisor.

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

Links

Companion Volumes, including Implementation Guides, are available at VETNet: - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=e31d8c6b-1608-4d77-9f71-9ee749456273