Labor to use black summer-era measure to fast-track algal bloom response as dolphin washes up on beach

The Guardian

2 days ago

Scientists have called for urgent funding for recovery measures for species affected by a catastrophic algal bloom off South Australia as images emerged of a dead dolphin that washed up on a beach in Adelaide.
The call comes in response to an Albanese government announcement that it would fast-track an expert assessment of the impact of the crisis on marine life, similar to a step taken after the black summer bushfire crisis.
The South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service collected the deceased adult common dolphin on Wednesday morning from Henley beach, with a necropsy to determine the cause of death – including any potential links to the toxic algal bloom that has killed tens of thousands of marine animals.
The dolphin death was not the first to be recorded since the bloom began in March. Others have been recorded at Grange beach, west of the city, and at Carrickalinga, about an hour's drive south of Adelaide.
But experts have told Guardian Australia that while the effects of the algae were not fully understood, mammals were not believed to be at immediate risk of death from the algal bloom because they do not have gills.
The environment minister, Murray Watt, and opposition leader, Sussan Ley, both visited Adelaide on Wednesday to see the impacts of the bloom.
Following calls by the scientist-led Biodiversity Council and conservation groups, Watt said the government had asked the threatened species scientific committee to consider whether any marine species require listing as a nationally threatened species as a result of the algal bloom.
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The approach is similar to that adopted by Ley as environment minister in the aftermath of the black summer fires in 2019-20. As the minister during that crisis, Ley also oversaw an additional $200m in funding for wildlife recovery and emergency measures.
The Biodiversity Council chief executive, James Trezise, said similarly urgent funding for recovery and emergency interventions for species would be needed on top of the $28m state and federal package already announced to help communities deal with the crisis.
'We saw the federal government mobilise hundreds of millions of dollars for wildlife recovery during the black summer fires,' he said.
'We need to see the same urgency in responding to this wildlife crisis alongside supporting impacted businesses.
'We don't know the full-scale impacts yet, but significant investment in species and habitat recovery will be needed.'
Citizen scientists tracking the effects of the algal bloom on marine life have recorded more than 26,000 dead sea creatures from more than 450 species. While mainly fishes, rays and molluscs, records also include mammals such as little penguins and dolphins.
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Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society International) and the Australian Marine Conservation Society wrote to Watt in July urging immediate conservation intervention for three species they considered most at risk: the great white shark, already a nationally listed threatened species, the coastal stingaree and the pygmy thornback skate.
'These and other vulnerable species are found in exactly the waters hit hardest by the bloom, and already under pressure from fishing and habitat loss,' said Lawrence Chlebeck, a marine biologist with Humane World for Animals.
'Without urgent targeted conservation action, we risk losing them for ever.'
Dr Michael Bossley, a marine biologist who is based in Adelaide and specialises in dolphins, said dead dolphins did wash up in the area from time to time, and so far the bloom had not had any pronounced impact on the numbers reported.
'It doesn't seem as if [the algal bloom] causes any fatalities to marine mammals. So, dolphins, seals and so forth – as far as we can tell – don't get killed directly, like fish do.'
While still not well understood, the harmful algae – known as Karenia mikimotoi – was thought to produce a reactive oxygen that caused gill cell damage in fish, which meant they could not breathe.
Bossley said there had been a concern that animals such as dolphins could face food shortages with so many fish dying. But he said the dolphin that washed up on Wednesday appeared to be in good condition; not emaciated.
A spokesperson for the SA environment department said: 'Marine mammals such as whales, dolphins and seals are not believed to be at immediate risk from the algal bloom as it is believed only animals with gills are at immediate direct risk.'
Guardian Australia has sought comment from Watt.