Cairns home to jobs-creating seafood processing hub with RED Grant

29 August 2023

A Cairns tuna export facility is diversifying into a seafood processing hub and creating up to eight full-time jobs with a Rural Economic Development (RED) Grant.

Cairns Little Seafood Market co-owner Kate Lamason said the enterprise was using the RED Grant to purchase new processing equipment and a refrigerated truck for the expansion of their facility to increase the resilience of their business and help cater to the growing demands of the local aquaculture industry. 

"My husband and I took over the family business last year, and we have a large facility and the ability to process a lot of seafood, so we were looking for opportunities to help keep aquaculture local for processing and export while still servicing the local commercial fishers," she said.

"This project is enabling us to acquire processing equipment and recruit a team of highly skilled professionals. This transition allows us to expand our operations beyond tuna processing and exporting, now providing these services to the broader aquaculture industry, including barramundi and prawns.

"The output of barramundi and prawns in the north is growing and we hope to double or triple our output in line with that."

The new export approved hub will mean North Queensland commercial fishers will be able to process their seafood locally, rather than sending it to Brisbane, which will not only save them costs but help them maintain better shelf-life and quality of their products. 

Kate said the project was expected to be completed by next year and will create up to eight direct, full-time jobs. 

"The project will create a range of jobs including filleters, managers and juniors who we will upskill to pursue careers in the seafood industry," she said.

"The Rural Economic Development Grant has meant we've been able to purchase equipment and hire employees straight away which we would have had to do in slower stages without the Grant."

With over 30 years of active involvement in the seafood industry, the Lamason family has gained expertise, particularly renowned for their globally recognised sashimi-grade tuna and value-added products.

The family has previously extended their operations into barramundi and prawn farming within northern regions, showcasing a diverse range of experience and capabilities. 

Cairns Little Seafood Market is one of 24 businesses approved for the fifth round of the competitive RED grants program with a total funding of $3.9 million. Overall, the fifth round of the RED Grants program is expected to create up to 215 direct, long-term jobs.

Grants are available for up to $200,000 with a 50 per cent cash contribution requirement from applicants to fund projects which generate economic and employment opportunities related to primary production value chains across rural and remote Queensland.

Over five years, the Palaszczuk Government’s RED Grants program has provided a total of $13.3 million in funding to support 59 successful regional agribusiness projects, worth more than $52.4 million and estimated to create over 2,500 new direct and indirect jobs.

A sixth round of RED Grants, supporting Indigenous-owned agribusinesses and projects aimed low-emissions agriculture, been allocated for the 2023-24 financial year, with applications to open later this year. 

For more information about the RED Grant scheme, visit the RED Grant scheme page.

The Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) administers the RED Grant scheme on behalf of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.