FISH AND MARINE ANIMAL DEATHS

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:21): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Last week, I announced that a multi-agency government team of experts would work together to get to the bottom of a recent spate of fish and marine animal deaths along the state's coastline. That team is made up of scientists from Biosecurity SA (in PIRSA), SA Water, the EPA and the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.

Since that announcement, the team has been working hard to continue collecting water samples, reviewing satellite imagery and continuing testing on dead fish. This work is in addition to the testing already underway by Biosecurity SA following the first reported fish deaths near Port Neill last month.

I can inform the council that all scientific evidence to date strongly suggests what the experts have been saying, that is, that the fish deaths are as a result of above average water temperatures across South Australian marine waters and algal blooms, a naturally occurring environmental phenomenon. This conclusion is supported by the science—warm air and water temperatures mixing with cold water and upwelling nutrients. They are conditions that very much support algal blooms.

Recently obtained satellite imagery has confirmed the presence of high algal abundance in the water and elevated water temperatures, which are 3º to 5º warmer than the average for March. The algae interfere with fish gills and cause gill tissue to break down. If gills are damaged, fish then obviously find it very difficult to extract oxygen from the water and they die. I am advised that this is the most likely cause of the recent fish deaths along our coastline.

In the last week, our scientists have been diving and gathering information from key areas. Dive observations at various sites in Gulf St Vincent last week, including near the desalination plant outlet pipe, have shown normal fish behaviour, which is obviously good news. While there has been much speculation about the desalination plant, the EPA has advised me that its reviews, using ongoing testing, have categorically ruled out any link to the desalination plant.

While all evidence points towards a naturally occurring environmental phenomenon, the multi-agency government team will continue to monitor and investigate this fish and marine animal death event. To assist the multi-agency team to provide the most up-to-date information to the public, a fish mortalities response website has been set up, which provides an interface with the South Australian community. The PIRSA website provides details of how to report significant fish deaths, and it will be updated regularly with the latest information and advice.

In relation to the recent dolphin deaths, I am informed that scientific experts from the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources are continuing to work with the South Australian Museum to conduct autopsies on the dolphins. However, it may be two to three weeks before the cause of these deaths can be determined because it takes some time for test results to come back. The multi-agency team will provide a report back to me as soon as its work is concluded, and all results will be made available to the public.