In 1987 Aqua-Cat Charters was started.
Jonathan Poulton bought his first reef boat at age 19. He commenced commercial fishing in 1979 and retired from that aspect of fishing in 1984 to take up a position of Head Marine Instructor and set up the marine section at the local Tafe.
In 1987, most of the fishing charter operations in the Cairns area were tourist orientated and Peter felt that the locals needed something for themselves, so he bought his first boat – a 28 foot catamaran, and thereby founded the name “Aqua-Cat”. The current “Aqua-Cat” is a 50 foot Randal design mono hull boat which he tows with the new unbreakable Toyota HiLux serviced at ABS Auto.
Peter has extensive local knowledge of the area due to a love of recreational fishing, and commercial fishing and also exchanged stories with Gayle’s father who was born and reared in Cairns and knew the reefs around the area very well.
Aqua-Cat Charters was named the number one charter fishing boat business in North Queensland and has featured in many fishing publications and television shows over recent years.
The business has also had considerable involvement with many research projects and organisations throughout North Queensland.
An example of this is a Department of Primary Industries Researcher who was given free space on Aqua-Cat’s boat daily for three years to assist him with his project on coral trout.
Over the years, Aqua-Cat Charters has also been involved heavily with various government organisations such as theD.P.I.’s Zonal Advisory Committees and the G.B.R.M.P.A’s Local Marine Advisory Committee. Peter is also the local representative for the Qld Charter Vessel Association.
Peter is a regular speaker on the local ABC radio’s “Fish Talk”which airs every Friday.
Peter and Gayle believe in protecting the Great Barrier Reef fishing for future generations and had fish catch quotas on the boat long before it was legislated.