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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-06-15 Daily Xml
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Murray Crayfish

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:58): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister inform the chamber about the reintroduction of Murray crayfish into South Australian waters?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:58): I thank the honourable member for his question and his interest in so many matters in regional South Australia. The Murray crayfish is an iconic river species that, while vulnerable in numbers, is still found in Victoria and New South Wales but has sadly been considered virtually extinct in South Australia for over 30 years. It is believed to be caused by overfishing and a decline in habitat, amongst other causes.

Murray crayfish are fully protected in South Australia under the Fisheries Management Act 2007, meaning that in the rare event that they are caught they must be returned to the water immediately. During recent River Murray flood events in New South Wales, Murray crayfish were sighted in their hundreds climbing up trees to escape the water that had become unfavourable for their survival due to blackwater and adverse water quality such as low dissolved oxygen levels.

A rescue operation for the Murray crayfish was coordinated by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to increase the species' chance of survival and lessen the population impact, given that they are also considered to be a threatened species in that state. The New South Wales DPI requested that Aquasave-Nature Glenelg Trust be able to house some of the rescued crayfish in their South Australian facilities due to reaching capacity at the facilities in New South Wales.

So, late last year, PIRSA received an application from Dr Nicholas Whiterod from Aquasave-NGT for a permit to possess and control a protected species so that they could indeed assist New South Wales DPI. As part of the application, the possibility was raised that the crayfish could be released into South Australian waters once the flood event was over as part of a reintroduction plan for the species in our state. Due to the circumstances at the time of the application late last year, with blackwater events in New South Wales requiring a quick response to support recovery activities, the application was prioritised by PIRSA and quickly approved, which meant that the rescued Murray crayfish were brought to South Australia and housed in Aquasave-Nature Glenelg Trust facilities at Victor Harbor and Lonsdale soon afterwards.

In February this year, PIRSA received an application from Dr Sylvia Zukowski from the Nature Glenelg Trust for a permit to release the Murray crayfish collected from New South Wales into the river in South Australia. PIRSA's Fisheries and Aquaculture team conducted an ecologically sustainable development risk assessment that informed the conditions of the draft permit, which was then referred to the Department for Environment and Water and to Minister Close as responsible minister for the administration of the River Murray Act 2003, due to the release site being within the Murray.

The permit was granted in April and, since that time, Murray crayfish have been reintroduced in small numbers back into South Australian River Murray waters. While recovery for the species will take time, it is an exciting development for a species once thought virtually lost to our state and one that means so much to many people, particularly Aboriginal communities along the river for whom the species holds such significance.

I congratulate all involved in turning what could have been a difficult outcome for the Murray crayfish escaping blackwater in New South Wales into such a positive story for the species in our state. In particular, I thank Dr Sylvia Zukowski and Dr Nicholas Whiterod from Aquasave-Nature Glenelg Trust for their dedication to this cause. Well done.

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