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) (14:28): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: As I have previously advised members in this place, a multiagency government team of experts was established by the state government to analyse the fish and marine animal mortalities that occurred along many parts of the state's coastline in March and April of this year. After an extensive investigation, the government's multiagency team has released its final report, which confirmed that the fish and dolphin deaths were caused by a combination of high water temperatures, algal blooms and the dolphin morbillivirus.

I am advised that, as part of the investigation, numerous fish and water samples were collected and analysed. In addition, climatic, as well as oceanography data, which centred on sea surface temperature, wind strength, wind direction and possible sources of nutrients, was analysed. This data was sourced from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, 'Buoyweather', NASA and water samples collected by the South Australian Research and Development Institute's aquatic sciences division.

The report indicated that water samples collected during the period of fish mortalities identified the presence of a spiny diatom (algae), which attaches to the gills of fish, leading to inflammation and eventual death. This algae is well known to be harmful to fish species, particularly small fish species, such as leatherjackets.

I understand that the report also confirmed that the majority of fish affected were small-bodied, bottom-dwelling species, with leatherjackets the most numerously reported, likely due to their substantial population. It is important to note that no single water quality or pollution point source was responsible for such a geographically-dispersed series of events. I am advised that the Environment Protection Authority assessed all available data from the desalination plant, including the salinity and dissolved oxygen measurements, and it has categorically ruled out any link between the desalination plant and the fish and dolphin mortalities.

In relation to the dolphin mortalities, the report found that in all cases morbillivirus was the underlying cause of the deaths of dolphins and in some cases it was the primary cause of death. The report noted that the first six Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins died from an outbreak of dolphin morbillivirus, with secondary infections such as fungal and parasite infestations due to compromised immune systems, probably also caused by the morbillivirus.

In concluding their report, the multiagency team noted that, while the deaths occurred at the same time, the actual cause of death was different for fish and dolphins. In investigating the fish and dolphin mortalities, the South Australian government's multiagency team partnered with world-leading authorities, including the Cawthron Institute in New Zealand (a world leader in algal toxicity), the University of Adelaide veterinary school, the South Australian Museum and the University of Tasmania.

I would like to place on record the government's thanks for their assistance in this very important work and their diligence. I would also like to thank the multiagency government team that comprised representatives from PIRSA, the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, SA Water and the Environment Protection Authority for its hard work and dedication in getting to the bottom of this very fishy problem—I should say this fish and dolphin mortality event—in South Australia. The multiagency government report can be viewed online.