News edition for 15 September 2026. Added to Nungya on 22 October 2026 as part of our retrospective news archive. Reporting reflects information available by the edition date.

For a fishing business, an ageing motor or trailer is a daily operational concern. Ten commercial fishers across Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait have received Wapil asset replacement grants to help renew essential equipment.

The Torres Strait Regional Authority’s 15 September update says recipients include fishers from outer islands as well as Badu, Erub, Iama, Port Kennedy and TRAWQ. The grants are supported by TSRA and funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency.

Eligible replacements include outboard motors and boat trailers. The program’s focus is practical: reliable assets support safer, more resilient commercial operations and help fishers continue supplying their families and communities.

TSRA describes Wapil as a broader approach extending from activity at sea to the market. Licensing, business capability and equipment sit within that work, alongside the authority’s aim to increase Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal participation in commercial fishing, including among women and young people.

The announcement concerns these ten recipients, with further recipients expected before the end of the year. It is a useful example of business support beginning with what operators actually use: the equipment that must perform each time they leave shore and bring their catch home.