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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-10-28 Daily Xml
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Fishing Restrictions

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:18): My question is to the Premier. How is the government ensuring that fishing restrictions are proportionate to actual algal bloom impacts on those stocks and not unnecessarily prolonged or applied without the necessary scientific foundation?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier, Minister for Defence and Space Industries) (14:18): The Leader of the Opposition's question goes to my previous answer. We don't want any restrictions in place if there is no need for them. We will constantly assess it. It will be done on the basis of the advice we receive from SARDI. What I know in the fishing sector is that there are always differing points of view. In fact, just earlier today I had a really good and productive meeting with RecFish SA again; I had one last week. I have met them repeatedly or frequently since the algal bloom really started.

Similarly, I have met with the commercial fishing sector. I acknowledge SISA, led by Kyri Toumazos. Their advice to government has also been very constructive, like that of RecFish SA along with other industry associations. They are important sources of information and advice to the government and that will continue to be the case. This is a very difficult and dynamic situation and we have to make decisions as best we can, knowing that those circumstances change.

The other thing I would say to the Leader of the Opposition and others—this was sort of lost in the news on Thursday, quite understandably, given the nature of the changes in the fishing sector—is that we released this information last Thursday and we are actually seeing a decline in the chlorophyll a levels in those areas where the algae persists across the state at the moment, both in the Spencer Gulf but particularly in the Gulf St Vincent. This has been measured over time and there is a positive trend downwards in terms of chlorophyll a levels.

Why that matters is because chlorophyll a is, in effect, a lead indicator of the presence of the Karenia. It is not a guaranteed proxy but it is a lead indicator and measurable proxy of sorts for the presence of the Karenia. This has been monitored over time and it is now on a trend back down towards long-term average levels. That is a good thing.

This does not mean that the bloom is going away and going to pass us by, because what we don't know is if they could return, especially with changing climatic conditions and particularly with warming waters. No-one from the government at all is suggesting that this problem is about to disappear but there is a positive trend that, if it were to be maintained, would be very good news indeed. But we are just not nearly far gone enough to be able to say that is the likely outcome, particularly in metropolitan Adelaide.

On all the testing results, the chlorophyll-a levels and the cell count data itself are demonstrating that the area of the state where the Karenia seems to be most persistent and present is undoubtedly in metropolitan Adelaide, which for beachgoers in metro Adelaide is unfortunate. But that is, of course, why we have partnered with Surf Life Saving SA. We have worked with them in terms of having people working on the beach more frequently, the information on the Beachsafe app and working with local government to have beaches cleaned frequently. We are doing everything we can to make a difference, however we can, to mitigate the worst impacts of the bloom.

The data in a trend sense, at least for the chlorophyll-a levels, looks like it is heading in the right direction, but there is a long way to go before we can have any comfort that the bloom is passing us by in a way that will be sustained throughout the summer.

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