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ABC News
a day ago
- Politics
- ABC News
What would declaring a toxic algal bloom as 'national disaster' mean for SA
It was an infamous justification which sparked widespread criticism. "I don't hold a hose, mate." The quip by then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison during the 2019 Black Summer bushfires left an indelible mark on his legacy, as communities on the ground confronted devastation. Six years on, the comment has resurfaced — this time in reference to what has been described as an "underwater bushfire" causing mass destruction along South Australia's coastline. The toxic algal bloom, first detected off the Fleurieu Peninsula, has been ravaging marine life across the state over the past four months, threatening coastal ecosystems and disrupting local tourism, fishing and aquaculture industries. "I urge the Prime Minister and [SA Premier] Peter Malinauskas to not allow this to become their 'We don't hold the hoses, mate' moment, South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said on Friday. Senator Hanson-Young wants Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to declare the algal bloom a "national disaster" — a move supported by the SA government. But what difference could such a declaration make? According to Senator Hanson-Young's office, a "national disaster" declaration is akin to a "national emergency" declaration. Federal laws which passed in 2020 allow the governor-general to declare a national emergency if the prime minister was satisfied an event was "causing harm that is nationally significant in Australia or in an Australian offshore area". The legislation has a broad definition of what constitutes nationally-significant harm, listing "harm to the life or health of animals or plants" and "harm to the environment" among the criteria. State and territory governments can request a national emergency declaration in writing and, if granted, a declaration can last up to three months. University of Adelaide research fellow Dr Phillipa McCormack said the purpose of the legislation was to recognise the Commonwealth's role during emergencies. "State governments can sometimes struggle to respond effectively, quickly enough, and at the scale that's needed to those kinds of extreme events," Dr McCormack said. "This legislation recognises that mismatch between the experience of the event and the resources to deal with it. "But the Act does limit it to those nationally-significant contexts." If an emergency declaration is in force, federal laws can be modified in "specified ways". "Provisions that may be modified include those requiring a person to provide a signature or to report matters to a Commonwealth agency," the Act states. According to the SA government, a "national disaster" declaration can also unlock federal funding through the National Emergency Management Agency's "Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements". These cost-sharing arrangements between the Commonwealth and state governments provide financial assistance to disaster-affected communities. Funding could come in the form of clean-up and recovery grants, personal hardship assistance, community recovery funds, or concessional loans for small businesses and primary producers. Politicians and some coastal community members. At a community meeting at Port Vincent last week, locals called for a disaster declaration, arguing Commonwealth support was needed. On Friday, Senator Hanson-Young said a "COVID-style recovery package" would help affected communities. "Businesses are crippling, communities are hurting, they're alarmed and our environment is under huge attack," Ms Hanson-Young said. The SA government has backed calls for the algal bloom to be declared a "national disaster", with state Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven noting the event had caused "very significant impacts" to the state's fisheries and environment. "We would certainly appreciate the federal government agreeing with what we have been advocating, which is that this is a national disaster," Ms Scriven said on Friday. "We hope that they will come to see it in that light." While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was in China last week, his ministers defended the federal government's response to the algal bloom. Federal Minister for Environment and Water, Murray Watt, said the government recognised the bloom was "very serious for South Australians", adding that he would "certainly consider" any assistance request from the state government. But he also stressed that the bloom was occurring in state, not Commonwealth, waters. "I think the reality is that state governments do have primary responsibility for state matters including in state waters, and federal governments have responsibility for federal matters including things in Commonwealth waters," he told ABC Radio Adelaide on Friday. "I think we do need to be careful to not have a system where Canberra just blunders in and tries to take over the situation that is being managed by the South Australian government."
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
SA's toxic algal bloom is twice the size of the ACT, has killed 12,000 animals and is filling even the experts with dread
Anthony Rowland was heading out for a pre-dawn surf at Waitpinga Point when he felt a tickle in his throat. He was out on the pristine water as the sun rose on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, then headed back up the hill towards the car park with his friends. 'Halfway up, all three of us were barking,' he says. When they reached the car park, it was full of people coughing. 'That was the second I realised something really bad was going on,' he says. It was Saturday, 15 March. When he went back the next day, a sickly yellow-brown foam had been whipped up along the shoreline. Dead leafy seadragons and fish carcasses littered the shore. Rowland – a surfer from nearby Victor Harbor who can now be described as a citizen scientist – tried to alert authorities, without success. Then the media began reporting about the mysterious foam, and asking questions about its links to symptoms in humans and death among sealife. It was the first time the wider population had heard of the devastating, toxic algal bloom that has left SA beaches littered with the carcasses of fish and marine animals – but it had already been brewing away beneath the waves for some time. Estuarine ecologist Faith Coleman thinks it was killing fish as early as January. About a week after Rowland started to tell anyone who'd listen about what was happening at Waitpinga, authorities confirmed the main algal species was Karenia mikimotoi, a type of plankton that had grown out of control. Experts say other algae that produce toxins are likely to be in the bloom as well. The toxins affect the gills of fish, while the bloom sucks the oxygen out of the water as it dies and decomposes, effectively suffocating marine life. It appears in the water and on the sand as a dirty stain, and in the air as an irritant to eyes and lungs. According to records, it has killed over 12,000 animals from almost 400 species so far, but experts predict the figure is much higher. There are dead fiddler rays, worm eels, Port Jackson sharks, crabs and puffer fish. There are starfish and scallops, sea cucumbers, wobbegongs and flatheads. A persistent marine heatwave affects the waters off South Australia, kicked off with sea surface temperatures reaching 2.5C above average. A mysterious sea foam appears at beaches on the Fleurieu Peninsula, with reports of more than 100 surfers becoming ill, and deaths of leafy sea dragons, fish and octopi. Marine biologists from the University of Technology Sydney find high numbers of a tiny harmful algal species called Karenia mikimotoi in water samples collected from affected beaches. Prof Shauna Murray – who identified the algae under the microscope and by analysing its DNA – says while still not well understood, K mikimotoi is thought to produce a reactive oxygen that caused gill cell damage in fish – which means they can not breathe. By this point, more than 200 marine species have been killed by the bloom, which stretches along more than 150 kilometres worth of coastline. A powerful storm and high tides washes the algae into the Coorong, staining the water like strong tea before turning it into a slurry. Water testing confirms the presence of the algae in the Coorong. Abnormally high tides, strong winds and large waves lashes the South Australian coastline, with multiple reports of fish deaths along the Adelaide metropolitan coastline reported in the aftermath. Testing confirms the toxic algae had entered West Lakes. While the algae has been detected at the inlet, it had not yet been detected at three other testing sites. It's not toxic to humans or other mammals but can cause averse reactions such as coughing, throat irritation and eye inflammation. According to state government experts, there are several 'plausible' factors that triggered the deadly algae bloom. In 2022, deadly floods hit the eastern states. That water flowed through the Murray-Darling Basin, collecting organic matter on its way. Eventually, the nutrient-rich water made its way to SA's River Murray before oozing out into the ocean. The next summer, there was an 'upwelling' of that water, bringing it to the surface. And then a marine heatwave began in September 2024. Sea temperatures rose to about 2.5C above normal. It was hot, dry and calm. And the bloom grew. It spread from the Fleurieu Peninsula, to Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula, Gulf St Vincent and the Spencer Gulf. It grew to 4,500 sq kms – almost double the size of the ACT – and as deep as 20m. In June it infiltrated the Coorong, a delicately balanced ecosystem and Ramsar-listed wetlands, and in early July it made its way to metropolitan beaches and into the Port River, which is home to a dolphin sanctuary. The bloom killed invertebrates and organisms that anchor seagrasses, leaving beaches near Adelaide strewn with clumps of seaweed. Nestled in those clumps are dead animals in states of decay. Beachgoers can be seen walking between carcasses, frantically calling their dogs away from the rotting fish. It has forced oyster and mussel farms to close, and has caused huge complications for the marine tourism industry. 'People have seen what's washed up on the shoreline, but that's just the tip of the iceberg,' marine biologist and underwater cinematographer Stefan Andrews says. Andrews is the co-founder of the Great Southern Reef Foundation (GSRF), which has been tracking the bloom. 'All of the habitats that these marine creatures depend on are deteriorating,' he says. 'But it's happening underwater and it's going unnoticed.' Footage from his dives contrast colourful, vibrant underwater scenes from before the bloom with murky after-shots that look almost apocalyptic. And there's 'weird' stuff going on, Andrews says. Critters you'd normally see at night appearing during the day. Abalone sitting upside down. A brittle star – related to the starfish, but with long, spindly arms – has its middle missing, like a doughnut. 'It seems to be rotting away from the inside.' When he looked under the kelp canopy while diving off Kangaroo Island, the invertebrates, the sponges, the sea squirts, were 'all dead or dying and falling apart'. As is always the case in the modern world, conspiracy theories have sprung up around the bloom. Some say Chinese warships caused it, others blame the desalination plant, some blame cloud seeding. Estuarine ecologist Faith Coleman says people are desperate for answers. 'I'm spending an awful lot of time doing something I hate to do, which is myth busting, whereas I'd prefer to be concentrating on solving the problem,' she says. She also says the contribution of the Murray floods and the upwelling were minor contributors. Overwhelmingly, she says, it was the marine heatwave. The government and experts concede there are many unanswered questions – including when it will end. The state government says nothing can be done naturally to dilute or dissipate the bloom. That won't quell the rising calls for action. The GSRF wrote to the federal government in 2023, warning of the likely impact of marine heatwaves. It wrote again in May this year, calling for a $40m, 10-year investment in a monitoring program. It didn't hear back. 'We need a coordinated monitoring program,' Andrews says. 'So when events like marine heatwaves happen, we're able to learn from them as they're unfolding and gather valuable data.' Federally, the Greens are calling for an inquiry and for it to be declared a national disaster, 'just like a bushfire or a weather bomb', SA senator Sarah Hanson-Young says. The Greens senator adds that if it was happening anywhere else in the country, the federal government would be on it. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The state government says it's working with commercial fishers, tourism operators and councils, and set up a reference group to report to a taskforce to discuss any updates. A patrol vessel and remotely operated vehicles have been sent to conduct underwater observations. It's also asking the federal government to fund more research and recovery measures. On Wednesday the federal environment minister, Murray Watt, sent his department's head of international environment, reef and ocean division to SA to ensure he has 'the best possible advice on the situation'. Coleman, to whom everyone seems to defer as a top expert on the bloom and who previously worked on projects including dealing with the carp in the Murray, recently captured plenty of attention talking about the 'sea sparkle'. It's different algae that can eat the Karenia – an appealing concept. But there's not enough of the luminescent algae to make a significant difference. The colder water and storms might be dispersing the bloom a bit, Coleman says, but more is needed to flush the gulfs or there'll be another bloom this summer. Restoring things such as the seagrasses and kelp forests, which work to suppress fledgling blooms and act as carbon sinks, would help, she says. What most people agree on is that more data and more transparency is needed, and that climate change is the driving force that needs to be stopped. Rowland, four and a half months after he started coughing in the car park, has become a citizen scientist embedded in a network of volunteers who are monitoring and logging the fish deaths on the iNaturalist app. 'Because the world's heating up,' he says. 'I just don't feel confident that once it's gone, it's gone. 'For me, the writing's on the wall.'
ABC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
South Australian government calls for Commonwealth to support fishers as algal bloom continues
The South Australian government is urging the Commonwealth to "come to the party" and assist local industries affected by the state's toxic algal bloom, amid mounting criticism of the federal government's response to the crisis. The bloom, first detected off SA's Fleurieu Peninsula, has been ravaging marine life across the state over the past four months, threatening coastal ecosystems and disrupting local tourism, fishing and aquaculture industries. SA's Minister for Primary Industries and Regions, Clare Scriven, wrote to her federal counterpart Julie Collins on Thursday regarding "industry support" for fishers. The request comes as commercial fishers across South Australia report being left with nothing to catch due to fish kills happening underwater. "We are really, really hoping the federal government will come to the party and assist in what is a very difficult time for South Australia and particularly for South Australian fishers and our regional communities," Ms Scriven said. The state government has previously announced commercial fishers can apply to have licence and other fees waived if their catches have been impacted by the bloom. Ms Scriven said the state government is also advocating that the federal government declare the event a "national disaster". "So we would certainly appreciate the federal government agreeing with what we have been advocating, which is that this is a national disaster. "We hope that they will come to see it in that light." Federal Minister for Environment and Water, Murray Watt, said the Albanese government recognised the bloom was "very serious for South Australians", adding that he would "certainly consider" any assistance request from the state government. But he also stressed that the bloom was occurring in state, not Commonwealth, waters. "I think the reality is that state governments do have primary responsibility for state matters including in state waters, and federal governments have responsibility for federal matters including things in Commonwealth waters," he told ABC Radio Adelaide. SA Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young renewed her calls for a "national disaster" declaration over the "environmental catastrophe" being caused by the toxic bloom. "South Australians are increasingly alarmed at what's going on every day, a walk down the beach is becoming an exercise in counting dead fish, dead dolphins," she said. "They're increasingly frustrated they are being abandoned by the federal government." She said South Australians had been "virtually dismissed" by the Albanese government following Minister Watt's interview on ABC Radio Adelaide. "Saying that this is just up to [the] state government means [Minister Watt] hasn't really understood the enormity of this issue," Ms Hanson-Young said. Ms Hanson-Young referenced the infamous "I don't hold a hose, mate" justification made by then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2019 after he took a holiday during the Black Summer bushfires which ravaged parts of the country. SA opposition leader Vincent Tarzia said he was "gobsmacked and outraged" by Minister Watt's response and called for the state and federal governments to collaborate. "They should be working together in a collaborative fashion to make sure they can do everything that is available to them, at their disposal, to improve this situation," he said. Mr Tarzia said he had written to the federal Environment Minister urging him to visit South Australia to "see the decimation" for himself. "There should be a package on the table right now, whether it's for tourism operators or whether it's for fishermen, or whether it's for better testing regimes," he said. "For the federal [Environment] Minister to not even be here, not even visit SA, it's just not good enough." Mr Watt admitted he had not been to the state "personally since the algal bloom has started" but said he was well aware of the situation and the seriousness of it. He was asked about criticisms levelled by political commentators and SA Greens MPs that the government would have responded to the bloom quicker if it happened in Sydney. "I certainly am aware that that's the perception in Adelaide," Mr Watt said. "And I can understand people feeling that way. "But I guess what I'm saying is for some time now ... we have been engaged with the South Australian government."
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Toxic to anything with gills': algal bloom spreading
A massive, toxic algal bloom that has killed thousands of fish, sharks and marine animals has spread to a capital city river. The bloom of the microalgae, karenia mikimotoi, was identified off South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula in March, and grew to more than 4400 sq km, close to the size of Kangaroo Island. It has been breaking up in recent weeks, spreading north into Spencer Gulf, south into the Coorong wetlands and along Adelaide's beaches in Gulf St Vincent. SA Environment Minister Susan Close said the "devastating" bloom had now been detected in Adelaide's Port River. "Karenia mikimotoi has appeared in the Port River and is at reasonably high concentrations around Garden Island and Outer Harbour," she told reporters on Tuesday. "Nothing near like the concentrations that we saw at the beginning of this bloom ... but nonetheless elevated amounts." Ms Close said the algae had killed tens of thousands of marine animals from almost 400 species, and authorities were concerned some may be wiped out in the region. "Although not toxic to humans, it is toxic to anything with gills and anything that seeks to breathe underwater, and we have seen just the beginnings of the extent of the devastation that's occurred under the sea," she said. SA Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven said the government had started talks with the Commonwealth about recovery assistance. It is not possible for the federal government to declare the incident a national disaster because the definition does not currently include algal blooms, she said. The SA government announced backdated licence fee relief for commercial fishers, aquaculture and charter boat operators impacted by the bloom. About $500,000 worth of fees will be waived to help operators, with a promise that more help will be available if needed. SA Professional Fishers Association chair Ben Barnes said some fishers reported seeing "absolute destruction of the environment" and the industry was yet to see the worst of the disaster. "It will be a recurring thing that we just won't know for the next five to six years," he said. "The extent of the devastation is unknown ... it will have an effect on larvae and eggs and production." Experts believe there are three potential contributing factors causing the bloom. One is a marine heatwave that started in September 2024, with sea temperatures about 2.5C warmer than usual, combined with calm conditions, light winds and small swells. Another is the 2022/23 River Murray flood that washed extra nutrients into the sea. That was followed by an unprecedented cold-water upwelling in summer of 2023/24 that brought nutrient-rich water to the surface.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fisherman's sad admission highlights growing Aussie problem
An Aussie angler has made a difficult admission: he hasn't caught a single squid since April. Nathan Eatts, a sixth-generation commercial fisherman, is increasingly worried he'll be the last in his family to carry on the trade, because a toxic algal bloom is killing all the fish in waters around Adelaide. 'Fishing is all I've ever done, since I could walk. My dad was a commercial fisherman and he used to take me out as a kid. My grandpa and uncle did the same. It's in our blood,' the 32-year-old told Yahoo News. A perfect storm has killed sharks, rays and other marine life across the Southern Fleurieu Peninsula where he's traditionally fished, and the squid have disappeared. The outbreak is being caused by naturally occurring Karenia mikimotoi algae mixed with higher than average nutrients in the sea, increased ocean temperatures, and calm weather. It had been hoped that cooler weather during winter would break up the bloom, but instead it's continued to spread. The problem is occurring right across the Fleurieu and Yorke Peninsulas, Kangaroo Island, and this week it's been detected on metropolitan beaches and West Lakes in Adelaide's north. Nathan is in a similar situation to farmers during the Millenium Drought which crippled agriculture across large parts of NSW and Queensland last decade. He's just trying to keep busy and carry on the only trade he knows. 'There are some species we can target like whiting, but we'll only get a dozen or so, which is not enough to make a living off,' he said. 'When it's a nice day and it's calm I go fishing. If we do catch a few that's good, and if we don't it's just like every other day. Worst case, I've got just enough for my own dinner.' What Nathan wants now is to be part of the solution. He wants to know if all of the squid have died, or if they've migrated elsewhere. "It's like a massive bushfire but it's under the ocean and we can't see the full scale of it," he said. He's not the only one wanting to help. Fisherman are normally secretive about their catch, but now they're sharing intelligence with each other out of care for the industry. Shark's worrying behaviour near Aussie coastline signals 'never seen' crisis Fisherman shocked by 'unfathomable' scene at Aussie beaches Investigation launched after rarely-seen shark washes up on Aussie beach As the situation continues, there are growing calls for it to be declared a national disaster. Part of the reason is that bills are stacking up, and that's an issue Nathan is experiencing as well. 'We have very high costs in our industry. I personally just got a $13,000 yearly bill from fisheries, but if I can't catch any fish how am I supposed to pay it?' he said. 'It's quite stressful, I've got a mortgage too.' But the bigger issue for him is the environmental toll it's taking on the ocean he loves. 'A healthy marine ecosystem means a healthy, viable business. Sustainability is one of my key values, and it's why my family has been able to fish for six generations,' Nathan said. 'We don't use nets, everything we do is line caught. We're all about promoting longevity.' Prior to the algal bloom, Nathan would catch between 20 and 30kg of squid on an average day. But after a four-day storm over Easter, the oceans died. The last squid he caught was on Good Friday. 'All of a sudden we couldn't catch a single thing. The water was all green. It was clear something was wrong,' he said. Being a smart businessman, Nathan had prepared for a rainy day, and had a freezer full of filleted reserve stocks. But after months without a catch, he's close to running out of supply. 'There's no way of replenishing it. I'm not worried about right now, it's where we're going to be in three or four months time,' he said. 'That's when it's going to hit home for a lot of people. When bad things happen it's always down the track a little bit when the real pain starts.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
