Wallis Lake Fishermen's Co-op has been named as one of two recipients of a Sydney Fish Market grant aimed at supporting environmental initiatives in the fishing industry.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Tuncurry-based business will receive a $5000 share of the $10,000 grant, which was announced ahead of World Fisheries Day on November 21, while Merimbula's Natural Oyster Company will receive the other $5000.
Co-op manager Suzie McEnallay said it was great to be recognised as an environmentally-conscious operation.
"Wallis Lake Fish Co-op is focussed on continually improving our impact on the environment," she said.
"Everything we've done for many years now has been like, 'What can we do to adapt and change?'"
You may also like: Multi-million dollar grant for Forster SLSC building project
Ms McEnallay said the grant would be put towards improving the co-op's water filtration systems and implementing more effective cleaning solutions.
Two UV filters will be installed on the co-op's saltwater intake pumps, which will improve the quality of the saltwater used to store live seafood and clean fish, and reduce the use of town water.
A dry vapour steam cleaning solution will also be installed, allowing for significantly less chemicals to be used in the co-op's cleaning operations.
We'll always support ideas and options to make our operations better.
- Suzie McEnallay
Ms McEnallay said the new systems would be up and running very soon.
"We've already got them on order and they'll be in place in a couple of weeks," she said.
It is the second time the co-op has been awarded the grant, with the business receiving $10,000 in 2017 to implement crab traps that reduced the capture of undersized crabs and other unwanted items.
You may also like: Council pays, but you have a say on Tuncurry water park
Ms McEnallay said the co-op would continue to look for ways to improve its environmental impact.
"I don't think it's something you can ever stop doing," she said.
"We'll always support ideas and options to make our operations better."
The business has enjoyed a bumper back half of the year, with the increased travel to regional NSW that has resulted from the pandemic leading to a significant rise in sales.
"The amount of seafood we're selling is so much more than we usually do," Ms McEnallay said.
"But it's not just tourists who are buying our seafood, a lot of the locals have been buying a lot more as well."
Thank you for valuing local journalism with your subscription. While you're with us, you can also receive updates straight to your inbox from the Great Lakes Advocate. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here.
