Page 18 - Tropic Magazine Issue 17

TROPIC • ENVIRONMENT

Packaging pioneers

CASTING A WIDE NET
A local couple is poised to
transform the global seafood
supply chain through
their ground-breaking,
environmentally-friendly
packaging.

Words Renee Cluff
Like every other seafood operation the market for recycling and our
around the world, Tom and Kath manufacturers are also our recyclers.
Long from TomKat Line Fishers We have WWF assisting with working
had been packing their produce in on blockchain traceability, so every
polystyrene containers to keep their box made is coded and then we can
fish cool en route to market. But for determine where it was sold and what
the environmentally aware husband- level of boxes make it back to the
and-wife team, operating out of recycling plants. Plus, it’s been tested
Kurrimine Beach, south of Innisfail, by the Department of Agriculture and
this wasn’t ideal.“There are 500-million Fisheries, which found its thermal
EPS (polystyrene) boxes in the seafood rating is not only equal with EPS,
industry alone and if you put them but better.”
end-to-end they’d wrap around the The 2018 Queensland Seafood Award
equator six-and-a-half times every recipients are now set to embark on
year,” Mr Long said. a commercial trial involving 1,000
Determined to find another option, containers. “A selection of forward- Wet Tropics
the couple last year travelled to thinking companies have signed up Management Authority
the world’s biggest seafood expo and they’re basically the who’s who of RAINFOREST REVIEW
in Brussels, through the Fisheries the seafood industry,” Mr Long said.
Research and Development “They’ll have to change the way they The Wet Tropics Management
Corporation (FRDC). do business, so it’s big, but they are Authority is inviting community
Unable to find a decent alternative prepared to be part of the trial.” feedback on a 10 year review of its
there, they decided to create one “It could be pretty big and what’s management plan. It’s the second
themselves. Mr Long told Tropic that’s good is we will be endeavouring to public consultation phase, the
when TomKat KoolPak was born. manufacture locally,” Mr Long said. first being in 2017, which involved
“It’s made out of plastic but not all “So it will be Australian made and we more than 60 meetings as well as
plastics are equal,” he said. “Our will export to the rest of the world.” formal submissions. Chair Leslie
plastics are the most desirable on Mr Long is philosophical about Shirreffs said the Authority has
TomKat’s work challenging the often since amended the draft.
negative environmental reputation of “We have addressed the vast
the commercial fishing industry. majority of issues raised during
“I think anybody that wants to be phase one,” she said. “We
in any industry needs to be forward encourage the community to
thinking and if you’re not, you’re of no have their say again to ensure
benefit to that industry,” he said. “We we have adequately captured
practice that attitude on a daily basis.” their aspirations.”

MORE: tomkatlinefish.com MORE: wettropics.gov.au/PlanReview

BREWING SUSTAINABILITY
If you’ve recently enjoyed a coffee at Cairns Airport, you’ve inadvertently
provided food for the region’s native butterflies. Since September, the Airport
and its food service provider HMS Host Australia, have repurposed more than
2,000 compostable coffee cups as pots, to grow plants butterflies love.
The seedlings are sent to hospitals, nursing homes, schools and community
gardens. The airport’s also diverted almost 4,000 kilograms of used coffee
grounds from landfill, for use as garden compost.

18 • Tropic • Issue 17