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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-11-13 Daily Xml
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Fisheries Management (Cuttlefish—Northern Spencer Gulf) Amendment Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 16 October 2025.)

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (12:25): The giant Australian cuttlefish is an iconic species in South Australia. Tens of thousands of giant Australian cuttlefish cluster near Whyalla in northern Spencer Gulf each year to spawn on an area of rocky reef. This is the only known dense aggregation of spawning giant Australian cuttlefish in the world, which attracts significant tourism, both nationally and internationally, to the region.

Whyalla and the surrounding region do a fantastic job catering to the increasing nature-based tourism, drawn to the region for the cuttlefish aggregation, and it has become an important celebration of community and the broader region each winter as Cuttlefest rolls around in those colder months. There are numerous and increasing ways that locals and tourists alike can enjoy the aggregation and Cuttlefest, with glass-bottom boat tours, guided diving and snorkelling tours, the Whyalla Art Trail, coastal walking trails, numerous citizen scientist and school activities, and the Secrets of the Spencer Gulf exhibition at the Whyalla Maritime Museum, amongst others.

The Whyalla council, in partnership with Santos, this year ran a pilot program called Cuttlefish Concierge where local cuttlefish ambassador and experienced diver, Carlo Possagno, was on hand to assist visitors to the main Point Lowly dive site, sharing information and firsthand experience of the cuttlefish in the local region. This all tells the story of a community that rallies behind this natural wonder, and in turn it provides opportunities and employment across a range of sectors and businesses in what is an incredibly important local economy to our state.

The Malinauskas government has proudly championed protection of the Australian cuttlefish, promising to protect the species in the Upper Spencer Gulf prior to the last state election. This commitment was met quickly by Minister Scriven, who then oversaw the temporary section 79 protection transition into regulatory protection, and now the highest protection available, incorporating protection into the Fisheries Management Act 2007.

We know that the former Liberal government allowed the Upper Spencer Gulf protection for cuttlefish to lapse in 2020, and so it is important that this protection is enshrined in the act to protect the species long into the future. Of course, it is not only important to protect this iconic species—particularly given numbers can be variable, but have rebounded from low numbers recorded in the early 2010s—it is just as important to provide certainty to the people of Whyalla.

The Malinauskas government fully understands the giant Australian cuttlefish and the only known mass spawning aggregation off the Whyalla coastline is worthy of its highest levels of protection. The bill introduced to parliament seeks to incorporate this current regulated spatial closure for the take of cuttlefish into the Fisheries Management Act 2007 to provide greater permanency for this existing arrangement, and does not amend the location and size of the spatial closure area currently under the Fisheries Management (General) Regulations 2017.

Importantly, the bill does not restrict fishers from being able to take other species such as southern calamari or octopus within the spatial closure area. Consultation with key stakeholders, including industry groups, was undertaken in 2025 by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions prior to the introduction of this bill. No objections to the proposal were raised. With that, Mr President, a current Whyalla member who would appreciate the importance of this piece of legislation, I commend this bill to the council and look forward to getting to Whyalla for Cuttlefest and a barbecue with you in the future.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (12:29): I, too, enjoy barbecues with you, Mr President. I rise today to speak on the Fisheries Management (Cuttlefish—Northern Spencer Gulf) Amendment Bill 2025. This bill seeks to enshrine in legislation the existing prohibition on the take of cuttlefish in the Northern Spencer Gulf, a measure already regulated since May 2023 under the Fishery Management (General) Regulations 2017. It is, in essence, a move to provide legislative certainty and permanency to what is currently a regulatory closure. This is obviously the highest level of protection that can be given.

The opposition supports the passage of this bill. Protecting the iconic cuttlefish population of the Northern Spencer Gulf is the responsibility of the government of the day, whoever they may be. The cuttlefish population in these waters is a unique species, and without adequate protection may suffer irreversible damage.

It is important to note that this bill does not change the current practical management of cuttlefish in the Spencer Gulf. The closure area remains exactly the same, the fishing restrictions remain unchanged, and the prohibition continues to apply only to the take of cuttlefish species. Commercial, recreational, and traditional fishers may still lawfully target other species, such as southern calamari and octopus, in this area.

Sound science must always underpin fishery management decisions, and it was in response to scientific data that the regulations have been altered in the past. Back in 2013 the Northern Spencer Gulf cuttlefish population had plummeted to around 13,000—a devastating figure compared to the 200,000-strong migrations seen just a few years earlier. Under the previous Liberal government we adopted a science-led approach to management, and when stock assessment showed significant recovery—with numbers climbing to around 240,000—the prohibition was lifted in 2020, consistent with the best available science at that time.

It is important to get this right, as the South Australian fishing sector supports regional economies, local jobs, and thriving coastal communities. So too does tourism, Mr President, as you well know. Sound fisheries management must ensure that our fish populations are not only protected but supported to thrive into the future. These decisions must be based on accurate information and cannot be made in isolation from the socioeconomic wellbeing of these communities. We need a plan that looks beyond short-term closures and embraces resilience, one that supports fishers to adapt to environmental changes, to challenges like the harmful algal bloom, and to the increasing pressures our oceans face.

We must acknowledge the seriousness of the current situation. The ongoing harmful algal bloom represents a significant threat to the survival of this iconic species and, in this context, maintaining the prohibition on take is the responsible and necessary course of action. It poses risks not only to cuttlefish but to a range of marine life and, by extension, to the livelihoods of those who depend on healthy fisheries and healthy environments.

Unfortunately, this government's response to the algal bloom crisis, as we all know, has been slow, fragmented and lacking in vision. It is true to say that the government cannot be blamed for the occurrence of the harmful algal bloom, but its response has been leadfooted, ad hoc, and ill-directed. The trust in science that underpins sound fisheries management was missing in the government's management of the early stages of this algal bloom outbreak.

We now know that the government was handballing decision-making between different departments, and that citizen scientists were left to provide scientific advice in the absence of leadership from this government. Their focus was more on spinning a story to preserve the image of this government rather than confirming the true nature of the algal bloom and the real risk to the marine ecosystem, the fishery and to the public.

In conclusion, the opposition supports the passage of the Fisheries Management (Cuttlefish—Northern Spencer Gulf) Amendment Bill 2025, but we do note that this legislation will not change the practical implications of the management of cuttlefish within Spencer Gulf.

The Hon. C. BONAROS (12:34): I do not know if it is a good idea to make a joke about barbecued cuttlefish right now, so perhaps I will refrain—but it is a Greek delicacy. I do rise to indicate my support for this bill and the intervention strategy aimed at safeguarding Australia's iconic giant cuttlefish population from the algal bloom. This includes the air bubble curtain, which will be installed on the Cuttlefish Coast in the Upper Spencer Gulf with an aim to protect about 50,000 to 80,000 cuttlefish eggs and hatchlings.

The benefits and importance of the giant cuttlefish population to Whyalla cannot be underestimated. We know that thousands of visitors descend on Whyalla from across the globe to witness the giant cuttlefish in all their glory in their natural habitat during their annual migration between May and August each year. It is, as the Hon. Mr Wortley has indicated, the world's largest known gathering of its kind.

As Mayor Stone has said, these cuttlefish are not just of critical importance to the local environment and economy but also to the nation. They have been added to the National Heritage list, and with that comes a responsibility to ensure their protection is a matter of national importance. I am of the view—and I think this view would be shared—that elevating their protection under this bill certainly is a reflection of that and goes some way towards protecting them as far as possible, but also recognising their national importance.

I will just take this moment to reflect—the Leader of the Opposition has already reflected on the issue of algal bloom more generally—on the technology being used within our fishing and seafood industries and how far that has come. I remember when I was first told by the industry about these air bubble curtains and that sort of technology, the underwater barriers that are being used to mitigate the effects of algal bloom and other mitigation strategies. It is also a reflection of how far that industry has come. It is certainly very advanced technology.

When it is broken down into its simplest terms, it makes a lot of sense. We know that they have been used in WA to protect kelp from fish, for instance, and whilst there are limitations on what they can be used for it is a good indication and a good example of how technology is helping that particular industry keep pace with the sorts of risks it faces. This risk of algal bloom is one that I am glad the government and federal government have responded to via this bill and via the strategy that is underpinning it.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (12:38): I thank the honourable members who have made a contribution: the Hon. Mr Wortley, the Hon. Ms Centofanti and the Hon. Ms Bonaros. The giant Australian cuttlefish is an iconic species. We have heard today, in addition to my second reading explanation, about how important it is to the local economy, particularly the tourist economy. I will just respond briefly to the comments of the Hon. Ms Centofanti in that it is quite ironic that she calls into question our vision, when it was the removal of the ban on taking cuttlefish back in 2020 under the previous Liberal government.

Cuttlefish abundance can fluctuate very widely over relatively short timeframes, so we then, in following years, saw significant decreases. The algal bloom is a reminder of how important it is to be thinking about species such as the giant Australian cuttlefish in order to make sure they are protected when they are particularly iconic, as is the case for this particular species. However, as noted, this will put in place permanent arrangements in terms of protection of the giant Australian cuttlefish, which will be good for that species and it will be good for Whyalla and our state more broadly. I commend the bill.

Bill read a second time.

Committee Stage

Bill taken through committee without amendment.

Third Reading

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (12:40): I move:

That this bill be now read a third time.

Bill read a third time and passed.

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