CAIRNS MARINE AQUARIUM FISH LANDS GOVERNMENT GRANT
Published Tuesday, 26 June, 2007 at 02:43 PM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Minister for State Development John Mickel today announced Regional Business Development Scheme funding of $24,327.50 for Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish.
The funding will help develop a more efficient record keeping system which will allow the company to pinpoint every marine creature it handles, from the moment of collection to customer delivery.
“Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish is a family owned company and the largest exporter in Australia of marine aquarium specimens,” Mr Mickel said.
“It’s operated by Lyle and Beverley Squire and their sons Lyle junior and Cadel, employs more than 20 fulltime locals and achieved a multi-million dollar turnover in 2006.
“Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish is a classic Smart State success story. The Squires have been around for many years and are highly regarded for their expertise in environmentally responsible collection methods,” Mr Mickel said.
Member for Barron River Steve Wettenhall said the company collected under license fish, sharks, stingrays, invertebrates and corals from the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. It services the Australian retail market, including pet shops and aquarium suppliers, as well as wholesalers and large public aquaria worldwide.
“The marine creatures they collect are air-freighted overseas and can be found at public aquariums in numerous countries with an annual global audience of more than 150 million. The biggest markets for export are Europe, the United States and Asia,”
“Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish has really captured a niche market and is one of only three companies of its kind in the world,” Mr Wettenhall said.
Minister Mickel will be in Cairns tomorrow to launch the Cairns and the Far North’s Centre of Enterprise Initiative.
Prior to the launch, at 12.30pm at Hawker Pacific Pty Ltd, Cairns Airport, Mr Mickel will tour the Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish facility at 11.30 in North Cairns .
“I understand the company has an outstanding reputation for its best practice methods of collecting marine creatures, housing and husbanding them and then shipping them to markets,” Mr Mickel said.
“The Queensland Government is pleased to be able to support an enterprise which clearly is a prime example of tropical expertise.”
According to Lyle Squire Junior, the new record keeping system will allow real-time management of all inputs for Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish.
“The first step involves a fully automated system aboard our vessels enabling divers to collect comprehensive data from their catch and effort log, including GPS positioning and identification to species level,” Mr Squire said.
“The grant will assist to establish the framework upon which the system will be built. When it’s complete, our stock list will be immediately accessible to customers and updated in real time.
“The tracking system will link with book keeping software so that every order automatically generates pay records, calculates tax liabilities and tax reporting such as Business Activity Statements.”
Mr Squire said that the project also involved the development of a website with a shopping cart feature for aquarium retailers and large public aquaria anywhere in the world.
Media inquiries: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
Company contact: Lyle Squire Junior, telephone 4058 1711.
26 June, 2007
The funding will help develop a more efficient record keeping system which will allow the company to pinpoint every marine creature it handles, from the moment of collection to customer delivery.
“Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish is a family owned company and the largest exporter in Australia of marine aquarium specimens,” Mr Mickel said.
“It’s operated by Lyle and Beverley Squire and their sons Lyle junior and Cadel, employs more than 20 fulltime locals and achieved a multi-million dollar turnover in 2006.
“Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish is a classic Smart State success story. The Squires have been around for many years and are highly regarded for their expertise in environmentally responsible collection methods,” Mr Mickel said.
Member for Barron River Steve Wettenhall said the company collected under license fish, sharks, stingrays, invertebrates and corals from the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. It services the Australian retail market, including pet shops and aquarium suppliers, as well as wholesalers and large public aquaria worldwide.
“The marine creatures they collect are air-freighted overseas and can be found at public aquariums in numerous countries with an annual global audience of more than 150 million. The biggest markets for export are Europe, the United States and Asia,”
“Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish has really captured a niche market and is one of only three companies of its kind in the world,” Mr Wettenhall said.
Minister Mickel will be in Cairns tomorrow to launch the Cairns and the Far North’s Centre of Enterprise Initiative.
Prior to the launch, at 12.30pm at Hawker Pacific Pty Ltd, Cairns Airport, Mr Mickel will tour the Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish facility at 11.30 in North Cairns .
“I understand the company has an outstanding reputation for its best practice methods of collecting marine creatures, housing and husbanding them and then shipping them to markets,” Mr Mickel said.
“The Queensland Government is pleased to be able to support an enterprise which clearly is a prime example of tropical expertise.”
According to Lyle Squire Junior, the new record keeping system will allow real-time management of all inputs for Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish.
“The first step involves a fully automated system aboard our vessels enabling divers to collect comprehensive data from their catch and effort log, including GPS positioning and identification to species level,” Mr Squire said.
“The grant will assist to establish the framework upon which the system will be built. When it’s complete, our stock list will be immediately accessible to customers and updated in real time.
“The tracking system will link with book keeping software so that every order automatically generates pay records, calculates tax liabilities and tax reporting such as Business Activity Statements.”
Mr Squire said that the project also involved the development of a website with a shopping cart feature for aquarium retailers and large public aquaria anywhere in the world.
Media inquiries: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
Company contact: Lyle Squire Junior, telephone 4058 1711.
26 June, 2007