Legislative Council Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Algal Bloom Algal Bloom The Hon. B.R. HOOD Legislative Council Algal Bloom The Hon. B.R. HOOD (15:10): I seek leave before asking a question of the Minister for Primary Industries on the topic of the algal bloom. Leave granted. The Hon. B.R. HOOD Legislative Council The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Given the decision to invest $4 million in saltwater fish restocking and $3 million in threatened species breeding, is the minister confident that these breeding and restocking programs will be successful, given the previous mass mortalities of oyster spat and snapper fingerlings at SARDI's South Australian Aquatic Sciences Centre in West Beach? The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN Legislative Council Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister for Forest Industries The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:11): I thank the honourable member for his question. The saltwater breeding programs are an important part of the commitments that our government has made, in partnership with the federal government, to support industries and to support our communities and our environment through this harmful algal bloom. SARDI has a strong track record in breeding programs for things such as snapper. We have released, I think from memory, more than 450,000 snapper fingerlings into the two gulfs previously, and obviously the breeding program going forward for that is incredibly important. There are other species where it is far more difficult to have a successful breeding program based on the experience not only here in South Australia but in other jurisdictions around the country. However, we are obviously investing in two specific species that are likely to have the best outcomes and we will continue to draw on the wealth of expertise to help in addressing this harmful algal bloom.