Agriculture & EnvironmentISCO 9216
Aquaculture cage mooring worker
Aquaculture cage mooring workers operate highly-specialised equipment in order to moor cages in stable stations, drifting cages or even self-propelled and semi-submerged cages.
Check yourself in a minute: aquaculture cage mooring worker
Rate 5 of the 41 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
handle fish harvesting waste
assess cage water quality
collect dead fish
stock fish
use water navigation devices
About aquaculture cage mooring worker
As an aquaculture cage mooring worker, you will operate highly specialized equipment to secure and maintain fish farming cages in various configurations including stable stations, drifting cages, and self-propelled or semi-submerged systems. Your responsibilities encompass all aspects of cage operations, from setting up harvesting equipment to monitoring water quality and fish health, managing feeding operations, and maintaining the complex mooring systems that keep cages safe in dynamic marine environments. You will work with sophisticated maritime equipment, monitor environmental conditions, and respond quickly to operational or safety issues. This is an outdoor, physically demanding role performed in challenging marine conditions, requiring strong seafaring knowledge and dedication to animal welfare. Poland's aquaculture industry, while smaller than other European producers, is developing steadily, with employment opportunities in coastal regions and inland aquaculture facilities seeking skilled workers committed to responsible fish farming practices.
Key Work Functions
Core areas of responsibility for a aquaculture cage mooring worker.
1
Cage Mooring and Maintenance
- Operate highly-specialized mooring equipment to secure cages in stable stations
- Set up and configure drifting cages and self-propelled or semi-submerged cage systems
- Maintain aquaculture cage equipment through regular inspection and repair
- Replace worn rope and mooring components to ensure system integrity
2
Water Quality and Fish Health Monitoring
- Assess cage water quality parameters including temperature, salinity, and oxygen levels
- Monitor aquaculture feeding behaviour to ensure fish health and proper nutrition
- Collect growth rate information and maintain health records for stock assessment
- Collect dead fish and manage fish harvesting waste according to regulations
3
Fish Harvesting and Stock Management
- Set up and prepare fish harvesting equipment for collection operations
- Stock fish and maintain inventory records of aquaculture populations
- Prepare fish treatment facilities and administer health treatments as needed
4
Safety and Emergency Operations
- Follow health and safety regulations for maritime and aquaculture operations
- Implement health and safety measures in transportation of equipment and materials
- Operate emergency equipment and respond to safety incidents
- Communicate using Global Maritime Distress and Safety System when necessary
5
Maritime Navigation and Environmental Monitoring
- Use water navigation devices to monitor cage location and environmental conditions
- Apply maritime meteorology knowledge to anticipate weather and sea conditions
- Perform rope manipulation for mooring and securing operations
- Collect aquatic resources data and environmental information as required
6
Communication and Coordination
- Communicate using maritime protocols and Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
- Coordinate with team members and shore-based management on cage operations
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (41)
health and safety measures in transportationhealth and safety measures in transportationThe body of rules, procedures and regulations related to health and safety measures intended to prevent accidents or incidents in transportation.rope manipulationrope manipulationRope manipulation which relates to knotting and splicing.maritime meteorologymaritime meteorologyThe scientific field of study that interprets meteorological information and applies it to ensure the safety of marine traffic.Global Maritime Distress and Safety SystemGlobal Maritime Distress and Safety SystemThe internationally agreed-upon set of safety procedures, types of equipment and communication protocols used to increase safety and make it easier to rescue distressed ships, boats and aircraft.health and safety regulationshealth and safety regulationsNecessary health, safety, hygiene and environmental standards and legislation rules in the sector of particular activity.handle fish harvesting wastehandle fish harvesting wasteDispose of waste, blood and inferior quality fish according to site waste management procedures.assess cage water qualityassess cage water qualityAnalyse the quality of water by monitoring the state of temperature and oxygen, among other parameters.collect dead fishcollect dead fishGather dead fish in recipients like tanks and cages.stock fishstock fishPlace fish into holding units. Maintain adequate environmental conditions within the unit.use water navigation devicesuse water navigation devicesUtilise water navigation devices, e.g. compass or sextant, or navigational aids such as lighthouses or buoys, radar, satellite, and computer systems, in order to navigate vessels on waterways. Work wi...maintain aquaculture cage equipmentmaintain aquaculture cage equipmentEnsure maintenance of aquaculture cage equipment, by carrying out tasks such as cleaning floats and arranging ropes in cages.set up fish harvesting equipmentset up fish harvesting equipmentSet up fish harvesting equipment for the efficient slaughter of the fish and subsequent storage.prepare fish treatment facilitiesprepare fish treatment facilitiesPrepare fish treatment facilities to effectively isolate contaminated fish during treatment. Control the application of treatments to avoid contaminating other stock, containers and the wider environm...operate emergency equipmentoperate emergency equipmentUtilise emergency equipment and tools such as fire extinguishers, wheel chocks, pocket lamps, and warning signs.monitor aquaculture feeding behaviourmonitor aquaculture feeding behaviourMonitor aquaculture feeding behaviour of farm animals. Collect information on the growth of the animals, and forecast future growth. Assess biomass taking mortality into account. Recommend improvement...communicate using the global maritime distress and safety systemcommunicate using the global maritime distress and safety systemSend an alert in case of distress, using any of the various GMDSS radio systems such that the alert has a very high probability of being received by either shore rescue authorities and/or other vessel...collect growth rate informationcollect growth rate informationCollect information on growth rate in farm aquatic species.prepare fishing equipmentprepare fishing equipmentDispose fishing gear and ship's deck for successful extraction activities. Coordinate the crew in this operation.clean fish cageclean fish cageEfficiently clean the cage and perform dead fish removal from surface.collect aquatic resourcescollect aquatic resourcesCollects spat and seaweed, as well as shellfish or any other aquatic animal (i.e. crustacean and echinoderms) or vegetable resource. Uses the appropriate equipment depending on the species.keep time accuratelykeep time accuratelyMeasure the passage of time, often with the assistance of a clock or stopwatch.make time-critical decisionsmake time-critical decisionsPursue optimal time-critical decision making within the organisation.transfer fishtransfer fishTransfer fully grown fish to a body of water, using a tank truck.conduct water navigationconduct water navigationEnsure that a vessel carries up to date and adequate charts and appropriate nautical documents. Lead the process of preparing the voyage report, the vessel passage plan, daily position reports, and th...maintain cage netsmaintain cage netsExecute cleaning, drying and storage of removed cage nets.operate small craftoperate small craftOperate small craft used for transport and feeding.prepare fish holding unitsprepare fish holding unitsClean the holding unit before receiving fish. Determine the water volume and flow rate. Prevent leaks. Conduct swim through.conduct on board safety inspectionsconduct on board safety inspectionsConduct on board safety inspections; identify and remove potential threats to the physical integrity of the ship crew.use aquaculture heavy equipmentuse aquaculture heavy equipmentPerform manual operations such as manually lift, transfer position and set down a load. Operate lifting gear such as winch, sea crane, telescopic loader, and forklift.prepare for small craft operationprepare for small craft operationPrepare for personnel operation of small craft, both with licence and without licence.act with a high level of safety awarenessact with a high level of safety awarenessEnsure high levels of safety awareness; use personal protection equipment; communicate with staff members and provide advice on health and safety issues.collect fish samples for diagnosiscollect fish samples for diagnosisCollect fish and shellfish samples for diagnosis by fish diseases specialists.maintain netsmaintain netsPerform cage net changing and bird net repairing.assist cage net changingassist cage net changingAssist in cage net changing and bird net repairing.perform lookout duties during maritime operationsperform lookout duties during maritime operationsMaintain a watch during maritime operations, in order to anticipate events and potential hazards.collect biological datacollect biological dataCollect biological specimens, record and summarise biological data for use in technical studies, developing environmental management plans and biological products.carry out fish transportationcarry out fish transportationCan manually lift, transfer, position and set down a load, using lifting gears such as forklifts, winches, sea cranes and others. Can operate equipment used in the transportation of fish, shellfish, c...swimswimMove through water by means of the limbs.follow procedures in the event of an alarmfollow procedures in the event of an alarmFollow safety procedures in the event of an alarm; act according to company instructions and procedures.health and safety in the workplacehealth and safety in the workplaceThe body of rules, procedures and regulations related to safety, health and welfare of people in their workplace.collect live fishcollect live fishGather fish using techniques which minimise the stress caused to fish and avoid fish escapes occurring.
Optional (22) — show
fish gradingfish gradingThe method of how fish are graded according to their different characteristics: specification, size, quality and condition.fish identification and classificationfish identification and classificationThe processes which allow the identification and classification of fish.fish biologyfish biologyThe study of fish, shellfish or crustacean organisms, categorized into many specialised fields that cover their morphology, physiology, anatomy, behaviour, origins and distribution.fish welfare regulationsfish welfare regulationsThe set of rules that apply in fish harvesting methods which ensure fish well-being.fish anatomyfish anatomyThe study of the form or morphology of fish species.cooperate with colleaguescooperate with colleaguesCooperate with colleagues in order to ensure that operations run effectively.apply fish harvest methodsapply fish harvest methodsApply fish harvest methods effectively and in a manner which minimises the stress caused to fish. Slaughter the fish in a humane manner.identify support mechanisms to develop your professional practiceidentify support mechanisms to develop your professional practiceIdentify sources of support to develop your professional practice. Stay aware of current trends in funding that could support you to finance your professional development.work in a fishery teamwork in a fishery teamWork as part of a crew or team, and meet team deadlines and responsibilities together.perform fish grading operationsperform fish grading operationsGather live fish using techniques which minimise the stress caused to fish and avoid fish escapes occurring. Grade them manually or using equipment. Report on the grading operation, ensuring complianc...manage spat collection equipmentmanage spat collection equipmentAssemble spat collection equipment to be deployed at sea. Deploy the spat collection equipment to maximise the yield and maintain it in working order.perform diving interventionsperform diving interventionsPerform 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 th...monitor treated fishmonitor treated fishMonitor treated fish to evaluate the effect of treatments.apply fish treatmentsapply fish treatmentsApply prescribed fish treatments under supervision, including assistance with vaccination immersion and injection procedures.manage personal professional developmentmanage personal professional developmentTake responsibility for lifelong learning and continuous professional development. Engage in learning to support and update professional competence. Identify priority areas for professional developmen...maintain diving equipmentmaintain diving equipmentPerform maintenance actions, including small repairs, on diving equipment.harvest aquatic resourcesharvest aquatic resourcesGrade fish, molluscs, crustaceans manually and using equipment in preparation for harvesting. Harvest shellfish for human consumption. Harvest live fish for live transport. Harvest all species in a hu...identify common aquatic species diseasesidentify common aquatic species diseasesIdentify common aquatic species diseases. Observe and describe common symptoms nd lesions.check diving equipmentcheck diving equipmentCheck 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 ...collect broodstockcollect broodstockSource broodstock from fisheries and held them in maturation tanks before collecting their seeds.report to the team leaderreport to the team leaderKeep the team leader informed on current and emerging issues.fishing industryfishing industryThe business model of the fishing industry, including recreational, subsistence and commercial fishing, and the harvesting, processing, and marketing sectors.
Related Occupations
Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.
water-based aquaculture worker15 shared essential skillsaquaculture harvesting technician8 shared essential skillsaquaculture husbandry worker8 shared essential skillsaquaculture cage technician6 shared essential skillsfisheries boatman6 shared essential skillsfisheries boatmaster6 shared essential skillsfisheries master6 shared essential skillsaquaculture husbandry technician5 shared essential skills
Frequently asked questions
What does an aquaculture cage mooring worker do?
Aquaculture cage mooring workers operate highly-specialised equipment in order to moor cages in stable stations, drifting cages or even self-propelled and semi-submerged cages.
What skills does an aquaculture cage mooring worker need?
An aquaculture cage mooring worker needs 41 essential skills, including health and safety measures in transportation, rope manipulation, maritime meteorology, Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, health and safety regulations.
Will AI replace aquaculture cage mooring worker jobs?
The AI disruption score for aquaculture cage mooring worker is 22/100 (low risk). Skills most exposed to automation: keep time accurately, follow procedures in the event of an alarm, fish welfare regulations. Most resilient: swim, perform diving interventions, maintain nets.
AI Replacement Risk
22/ 100
Low Risk
Low riskHigh risk
Quick Facts
ISCO GroupAgricultural, forestry and fishery labourers
Essential Skills41
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