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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-09-03 Daily Xml
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Abalone Viral Ganglioneuritis

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:36): My questions are to the Minister for Primary Industries regarding aquatic disease management:

1. Can the minister advise the chamber of the current frontline of the abalone viral ganglioneuritis, or AVG as it's commonly acronymed, and identify the location and timing of the most northern positive detection?

2. What management plans are currently in place to ensure effective monitoring of the virus over the next six to 12 months?

3. What new measures are being implemented to reduce the risk of cross-contamination between the western boundary of the southern zone and the eastern boundary of the northern zone rock lobster fisheries?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:36): I thank the honourable member for her question. To remind members, on 23 February 2024, abalone viral ganglioneuritis (AVG) was confirmed in wild abalone in waters south of Port MacDonnell in the South-East of our state. AVG is known to occur elsewhere in Australia, including Victoria and Tasmania, but that was the first detection in South Australia. Since the initial detection, abalone collected from areas between Port MacDonnell and Nora Creina have been confirmed positive for AVG, and observations of AVG-infected abalone are now evident as far west as Cape Jaffa. AVG is now considered widespread across the whole southern abalone fishing zone (SAFZ).

With assistance from the commercial abalone industry, a Department of Primary Industries and Regions incident management team was put in place at that time in response to the initial detection. The IMT facilitated surveillance activities and confirmed virus presence at several points west of the initial infection point at Breaksea Reef near Port MacDonnell, included Nene Valley and Nora Creina. While this surveillance and testing was undertaken, a legislated control area and buffer zone was put in place between the Victorian border and the mouth of the Murray River, with associated restrictions and decontamination requirements for fishing equipment prescribed for each area.

On 27 March 2024, following expiry of the temporary notices, a notice under the Livestock Act 1997 was issued providing longer term arrangements for movement of fishing equipment outside of the southern zone, and storage of live abalone by fish processors sourced from the southern zone. In addition, a closure under the Fisheries Management Act was implemented at Port MacDonnell to support local abalone stock recovery.

In May 2024, this closure was extended westward to Nene Valley, following observations of dead and dying abalone in Douglas Bay, which is approximately 10 kilometres north-west of the initial detection site, made by SARDI divers. Samples from this area were confirmed as AVG-positive, with observations of mortality rates of up to 95 per cent in some affected areas.

These observations were corroborated by an industry diver in the area. Consultation was undertaken with industry, and an outcome of that was a biosecurity code of practice for South Australia being developed. The code provides industry standards for dive operations, decontamination, regional movement of fishing equipment, as well as protocols for observing and reporting suspect abalone.

Fishing in the southern zone continued in 2024 until February 2025 under the procedures described in the code. In December 2024, abalone from a new area of the fishery between Carpenter Rocks and Beachport, north-west of the previous active areas, tested positive for AVG. Since December 2024 or January 2025, from industry diver observations of AVG-infected abalone provided to PIRSA, it became evident that AVG has now spread throughout the southern zone.

SARDI commenced baseline surveys in the main fishing areas of the southern zone in February 2025 to estimate the current level of depletion of stock in the area. Unfortunately, results from five sites indicated the impact of AVG in the southern zone had been substantial. PIRSA met with the southern zone abalone industry on 25 February 2025 to consider the measures required to appropriately support recovery of the local abalone stocks.

At that meeting, based on industry feedback, diver reports and the SARDI surveys, industry and PIRSA discussed a total closure of the harvest of abalone throughout the whole zone to support rebuilding the abalone stocks in this zone as quickly as possible. The depletion had been estimated at between 79 per cent and 88 per cent.

PIRSA has now implemented a closure prohibiting the take of all abalone by any person—that includes both recreational and commercial—in all marine waters of the southern zone abalone fishery, that being the area from the Murray River mouth to the Victorian border. All relevant stakeholders have been informed of the closure. Given the biology of abalone, it is considered likely, unfortunately, that recovery of depleted stocks will require significant time of five years plus, and possibly even more, maybe up to a decade, to achieve.

The closure will have a significant impact on what was a highly sustainable and successful commercial fishing industry, and the proactive and collaborative approach this commercial industry has taken throughout the response is testament, I think, to their great professionalism. I congratulate them for that. It is also acknowledged that abalone fishing is an important recreational activity for divers. The closure has been implemented under section 79 of the Fisheries Management Act in the first instance.

As AVG is now endemic throughout the southern zone, it is considered that restrictions on the other fishing activities in the area are no longer required and so the closure notice that was in place at Breaksea Reef at Nene Valley has been revoked as it has been replaced by the new closure notice. The new arrangements in this area allow fishers to fish for other bottom-dwelling animals, such as rock lobster, an activity that was previously prohibited for that period of time.

It is noted that management controls, under the Livestock Act, restricting the movement of fishing gear outside of the southern zone without decontamination are appropriate mitigation measures to limit the risk of spread of AVG to fishing areas outside the southern zone. These are essential management arrangements to protect the state's other abalone fisheries and have been maintained.

A communications plan to advise the community of the closure and the reasons why it was necessary was implemented. That included signage, media, social media and notices to stakeholders to ensure stakeholders are adequately aware of the closure. PIRSA continues to liaise with the Victorian Fisheries Authority and other jurisdictions to support market access opportunities for licence holders in the remaining fishing areas.

PIRSA, in collaboration with representatives of the central zone and western zone abalone fisheries, have been developing a risk assessment and that is in regard to the risk from the southern zone to the other two zones. To raise awareness among fishers and the broader community about AVG, electronic variable message signs have been installed at key locations. These include Robe, Mount Gambier, Tailem Bend, Port Wakefield, Port Augusta, Cape Jervis and Wallaroo. Those signs serve as critical reminders about the importance of boat hygiene and biosecurity compliance in safeguarding the central and western abalone zones from the spread of AVG.

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