When the Algal Bloom shut down Manny’s usual fishing grounds for an extended period, his income dropped to zero. With boat and gear to maintain, licences and insurances falling due, and household bills piling up, Manny asked Rural Business Support (RBS) for help to steady cash flow and decide whether to keep fishing or tie up the boat.
Triage and plan
At an initial meeting in mid 2025, a Program Support Officer confirmed eligibility and supported a Rural Financial Counsellor (RFC) to set up a case-managed plan. Manny had a small home loan to service and had modest savings that could tide him over for a short while. His boat, trailer and fishing gear were free of debt Quotas, higher fees and reduced grounds had squeezed margins in recent years. Manny agreed to regular check-ins with task lists between meetings.
Making the numbers visible
Together the RFC and Manny developed a 12-month cash flow, then Manny began entering monthly actuals on the first business day of each month. That single habit gave him a realistic view of fuel, ice, slipway, insurance and household costs, and what was affordable while catch volumes were uncertain.
Negotiations and advocacy
The RFC also recognised that during this period of uncertainty he needed to advocate for some additional support around his debt management.
This included arranging an ATO payment plan of $120/fortnight and reset PAYG instalments to match current earnings.
Encouraging Manny to contact key suppliers before due dates, sharing the forecast. Some resumed supply on COD; and others agreed to a stepped arrears plan. Through this process, over a four-month period, arrears to one supplier fell significantly as small, scheduled payments landed on time.
They also adjusted Manny’s insurance schedule, by splitting premiums and aligning them with predicted landing weeks.
Knowing that the uncertainty of the Algal Bloom was impacting Manny’s mental health, he was encouraged to work alongside a PIRSA Family and Business (FaB) Mentor to develop regular routines to reduce stress triggers. With Manny’s consent, he was also referred to the GP for a mental-health plan.
Decisions and pathway
As fishing grounds began reopening in stages, Manny chose to scale back trips temporarily, take two days a week of processing shifts, and prioritise higher-margin species when weather and access allowed. He added a simple buyer contact rhythm, weekly availability texts and an end-of-month catch/price summary, so orders matched real capacity. The plan penciled in a gradual return to three fishing days, subject to catch and prices.
New processes
Manny is now confident to updates the cash flow monthly and calls creditors before a shortfall. He keeps a dynamic debt log (due date, agreed amount, contact name, next review) and emails the accountant quarterly with P&L and logbook extracts, reducing the risk of surprises.
Where Manny landed
Several months later, Manny’s core bills are back on track and his supplier relationships are stronger, suppliers trust that if Manny orchestrates a payment plan, he honours it. He now has a sustainable plan with the ATO.
Importantly, Manny’s cash buffer has stabilised, despite reducing fishing trips. And he has clear trigger points to increase fishing days or pivot hours back to processing if conditions worsen.
What we’d tweak next time
The RFC reflected on his interactions with Manny, and identified that depending on the client’s willingness, he’d aim to start the cash-flow build in the first meeting for future clients, and he’d aim to bring the buyer call pattern forward to lock in orders earlier.
Aftercare and consent
On exit, Manny keeps monthly actuals and quarterly accountant reviews. RBS set a follow-up in three months to check arrears and cash buffer targets. Manny reviewed and approved this de-identified case study.
