Latest news with #SouthernRanger
Perth Now
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Greens demand PM act on toxic bloom
Anthony Albanese is being pressed to declare a toxic algae bloom, which has crippled South Australia's coastline and plunged seafood industries into peril, a 'national disaster'. The naturally-occurring but harmful algal bloom has plagued the state's beaches for months, killing marine life and plunging the seafood industry into crisis. Reports have emerged of dead fish, rays and sharks washing up along the metropolitan coastline – including North Haven between the river mouth and marina breakwater, Tennyson Beach, north of Grange jetty, and south of Christies Beach Surf Life Saving Club. Several mussel farming sites around the Port Lincoln area have also been shut after shellfish toxins were detected in the area. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called on the Prime Minister to respond to the growing algae bloom 'disaster' in South Australia. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia Greens senator Sarah Hanson Young has says the bloom is a 'national disaster' and therefore required a 'national response'. She called on the Prime Minister and federal Environment Minister Murray Watt to visit Adelaide and 'take some action'. 'If this was happening in Bondi, or on the North Shore in Sydney, the Prime Minister would have already been on the beach, talking to concerned locals and the affected industries,' Senator Hanson-Young said on Wednesday. Reports have emerged of dead marine life washing up along areas of SA's metropolitan coastline. Stefan Andrews / Great Southern Reef Foundation Credit: Supplied More than 200 marine species have been recorded as dead due to a toxic algae bloom in South Australia. Supplied Credit: News Corp Australia 'But today, we've had virtually nothing from the federal government.' South Australia's flagship fisheries patrol vessel Southern Ranger has been deployed to inspect the bloom and help authorities understand its impact. Senator Hanson-Young, the Greens' environment and water spokeswoman, said this should have been happening 'weeks and weeks ago' – pointing out SA's fishing and tourism industries were being 'smashed'. 'Our environment is dying, and our community is alarmed,' she said. The algae bloom was first detected in March. Supplied / Great Southern Reef Credit: Supplied 'This is the climate crisis unfolding before our very eyes, and South Australia can't handle it on our own.' Senator Hanson-Young said she would be moving for a federal inquiry into the crisis when parliament resumes. In their latest update on Wednesday, the SA Department of Environment and Water said the algae – known as Karenia mikimotoi – had been detected in the Port River. Elevated levels were found by authorities along the metropolitan coastline, while 'very high' levels were at the Garden Island and Outer Harbor boat ramps. It was first detected on the Fleurieu Peninsula in March. The bloom quickly spread to other waterways after it was detected in the Fleurieu Peninsula four months ago. Stefan Andrews / Great Southern Reef Foundation Credit: Supplied 'State government agencies are taking weekly water samples at 17 sites across West Lakes, the Port River, the Patawalonga River and the end of four jetties at Largs Bay, Grange, Glenelg and Port Noarlunga,' the department said in their update. The South Australian opposition has already called for a royal commission to explore the origin and consequences of the algae and what could have been done to manage the situation, the ABC reports. Authorities believe a marine heatwave in September last year could have contributed to the bloom. Flooding in the Murray River over 2022 and 2023 washing extra nutrients into the sea, or an unprecedented cold-water upwelling over the summer of 2023-24, may also have contributed. The last large event of this type of algae recorded in SA was at Coffin Bay in 2014. Karenia mikimotoi is not known to cause long-term harmful effects in humans but exposure to discoloured or foamy water can cause short-term skin or eye irritation and respiratory symptoms.
West Australian
15-07-2025
- Climate
- West Australian
Natural and a disaster but no fed help for algal bloom
A massive algal bloom having a devastating impact on South Australia's marine life is a natural disaster but doesn't meet federal criteria for assistance, the state's environment minister says. The naturally occurring algal bloom has killed tens of thousands of marine animals from almost 400 species and caused widespread disruption to commercial fisheries and aquaculture operations since it was identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in March. Acting Premier and Environment Minister Susan Close said that "certainly, it's a disaster that has occurred naturally". "At the moment, the federal government is telling us that it doesn't conform to the checklist of what's in the National Natural Disaster Arrangements," she told reporters on Tuesday. "We haven't previously had an algal bloom that's been a natural disaster in Australia, now we have, so we need to adapt to that." Dr Close said the Department of Premier and Cabinet was working closely with the federal government on ways that might be addressed. She said the government was moving into recovery mode, aiming to accelerate environmental efforts and provide further support to industry, in a plan to be developed over the next few weeks. The state's flagship fisheries patrol vessel Southern Ranger will begin underwater observations in the Gulf of St Vincent from Wednesday to understand the effect on the ecosystem. Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said there were no suggestions the algal bloom could have been prevented. "The underwater marine heatwaves, the upwellings that have occurred, the lack of rain over a period of time, as well as some of the other conditions, have come together to mean that this bloom has continued for much longer than any of us would have wanted," she said. The government's algal bloom taskforce met on Tuesday and it has also established a reference group to help industries and stakeholders to respond and recover. The group includes representatives from Seafood Industry South Australia, RecFish SA, the Conservation Council, Tourism Industry Council and First Nations groups. The government has offered three months of licence fee relief to commercial fishermen, and Ms Scriven said more relief may be required. Some fishermen have reported catching nothing since April and they are struggling without any income. Further support for industry would depend on discussions with the federal government, Ms Scriven said.
Perth Now
15-07-2025
- Climate
- Perth Now
Natural and a disaster but no fed help for algal bloom
A massive algal bloom having a devastating impact on South Australia's marine life is a natural disaster but doesn't meet federal criteria for assistance, the state's environment minister says. The naturally occurring algal bloom has killed tens of thousands of marine animals from almost 400 species and caused widespread disruption to commercial fisheries and aquaculture operations since it was identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in March. Acting Premier and Environment Minister Susan Close said that "certainly, it's a disaster that has occurred naturally". "At the moment, the federal government is telling us that it doesn't conform to the checklist of what's in the National Natural Disaster Arrangements," she told reporters on Tuesday. "We haven't previously had an algal bloom that's been a natural disaster in Australia, now we have, so we need to adapt to that." Dr Close said the Department of Premier and Cabinet was working closely with the federal government on ways that might be addressed. She said the government was moving into recovery mode, aiming to accelerate environmental efforts and provide further support to industry, in a plan to be developed over the next few weeks. The state's flagship fisheries patrol vessel Southern Ranger will begin underwater observations in the Gulf of St Vincent from Wednesday to understand the effect on the ecosystem. Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said there were no suggestions the algal bloom could have been prevented. "The underwater marine heatwaves, the upwellings that have occurred, the lack of rain over a period of time, as well as some of the other conditions, have come together to mean that this bloom has continued for much longer than any of us would have wanted," she said. The government's algal bloom taskforce met on Tuesday and it has also established a reference group to help industries and stakeholders to respond and recover. The group includes representatives from Seafood Industry South Australia, RecFish SA, the Conservation Council, Tourism Industry Council and First Nations groups. The government has offered three months of licence fee relief to commercial fishermen, and Ms Scriven said more relief may be required. Some fishermen have reported catching nothing since April and they are struggling without any income. Further support for industry would depend on discussions with the federal government, Ms Scriven said.
