Latest news with #SusanClose
ABC News
21-05-2025
- ABC News
Friends of Sceale Bay celebrate 20 years preserving SA wilderness
It is hard to fathom that 15 years ago, plans were afoot to develop a 156-room casino resort and fish farm near a rare Australian sea lion sanctuary at Point Labatt on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula. Residents and a group called Friends of Sceale Bay fought against the proposals and won. The group, established years before the casino battle, has spent two decades relentlessly pursuing formal conservation areas that have created a wildlife legacy. The Friends of Sceale Bay group has five official members, supported by other residents and holiday home owners for conservation projects. They work out of the small seaside hamlet of Sceale Bay, 25 kilometres south of Streaky Bay. The group has successfully lobbied for permanent protection of four land parcels in the area, coining the phrase Chain of Bays to define the coastal environment. They recently celebrated another win, after SA Climate, Environment and Water Minister Susan Close added more land to the Sceale Bay Conservation Park, increasing it by about a third. Ms Close said the state and federal governments had a "30 by 30 commitment," aiming to protect 30 per cent of Australia's landmass and marine areas by 2030 and halt biodiversity loss. The Department of Environment and Water manages about 23 million hectares of national parks and wilderness protection areas, which comprise about 22 per cent of the state's land. The Friends of Sceale Bay have helped add the newest parcel of Crown land, creating a corridor of protection for the coastal ecosystems of the Chain of Bays area. "This is just extra dune country being put into the park, which is well-covered with native vegetation and there's a number of birds and other animal species in that area as well," Friends of Sceale Bay Adelaide convener David Kirner said. "It was privately owned and in 2015 the government purchased it, and over the last 10 years they've done all the various things that they need to do to include it in the park. "It is home to rare and endangered species like the Australian sea lion, eastern osprey and the white-bellied sea eagle. "We've been chipping away for 20 years to protect unique ecosystems along the Chain of Bays from Streaky Bay to Venus Bay." The majority of the protected parcels of land are accessed by dirt roads hugging a coastal wilderness of low-lying shrubs, salt lakes, dunes, ocean-facing cliffs, inlets and surf beaches, broken by sparse paddocks of cropping and sheep. The Friends of Sceale Bay have rolled up their sleeves and weeded, planted trees, filled out grant applications and lobbied successive governments to create more conservation park areas. "We have the view that the best way to preserve the environment, save the environment, is to actually take action and get involved, and get your hands dirty," Mr Kirner said. "We did Caring for Country grants — there was work done with the Ceduna Aboriginal Corporation, large-scale direct seeding within the areas that ended up becoming parks. The aim is to link the protected Chain of Bays areas — at the moment they are separated by land allotments held by private owners, farmers, the District Council of Streaky Bay and the government. The West Coast Marine Park hugs the coastline, and along the landscape the current conservation parks include Point Labatt (51 hectares), Calpattana Waterhole (3,644ha), Searcy Bay (868ha), Sceale Bay (527ha) and Cape Blanche (810ha). Sceale Bay was initially named Yanera in 1888 and was settled as a farming port with a jetty that was demolished in 1972. Today the town, with a population of 58 at the 2021 Census, has remained largely undeveloped, protected by its isolation at a time when coastal properties and development are booming. "When you look at the tourist numbers [visiting the region] it's in the thousands," Mr Kirner said. "You do get a lot of people coming in by caravan, people coming in during school holidays, and places like Point Labatt where the sealions are … they have quite large visitor numbers. It is a rare place where — with a little assistance — nature has won some battles, including the conversion of a former caravan park into a block for wildlife. Mr Kirner is now planning to lobby for the expansion of conservation parks at Cape Blanche, Searcy Bay and Point Labatt, as well as expanding the Sceale Bay park to include Yanerbie Dunes. The group would also like to see Smooth Pool, a popular snorkelling spot, developed as a conservation park and aquatic reserve. In a statement, the Department for Environment and Water said it worked collaboratively with the Friends of Sceale Bay. "We value their interest and dedication to the region," the statement read.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Why Are Sharks Attacking Like Crazy in South Australia?
Richard Vinall was in the midst of his morning routine, a swim at Port Noarlunga, last week, when the 60-something-year-old man was attacked by a shark. He was bitten on the thigh, badly. After being treated on the beach, he was transported to the hospital where he remains in critical condition. This was just the latest in a surge of attacks, sightings, and curious behavior from sharks on South Australia's coastline. The area has a history of being sharky. But this is something different. And now, officials believe they know why – or at least a contributing factor – to the spike in attacks. Speaking with ABC, Deputy Premier Susan Close, (and also the state's environment minister) named a huge, toxic algal bloom as the culprit for sharks 'not behaving normally.' She continued: 'They're more numerous along our metropolitan coastline than we normally expect to see and also they appear to be in some distress and there's some talk of them being more aggressive.' The apparent algal bloom – which is harmful to marine life, even causing neurological damage – is the size of Kangaroo Island off South Australia. That's more than triple the size of Los a 10-foot great white shark found itself stranded in shallow water at a South Australia beach. Locals waded out to the shark, and helped it back to sea, using only their bare hands. Speaking to the aberrant nature of such an incident, one of the rescuers recounted: 'The tide was on its way out, and it looked to be confused.' In that scenario, luckily, nobody was nipped. And soon after, another 10-foot great white beached itself at a different South Australia beach. This one could not be saved. As one witness said, 'It was struggling. It was rolling around. Its belly was up. It looked like it was pretty sick.'Looking back over the last two years, it hasn't just been sharks washing ashore sick and confused. Two surfers have been killed in South Australia. Earlier this year, 28-year-old Lance Appleby was taken by a shark while surfing Granites Beach on the Eyre Peninsula, and his body was never found; then, in 2023, 15-year-old Khai Cowley was attacked and killed while surfing Ethel Beach. Watch out, South Australians. It's getting seriously sharky down there.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Bombshell claim after shark attack
A 'toxic algal bloom' has been blamed for recent attacks and washing up of sharks on South Australia's beaches. Last week, a shark bit Richard Vinall, a man in his 60s out for a swim on Port Noarlunga, leaving him fighting for life. The horror attack came in the same period several sharks washed up on Adelaide's beaches, amid growing concerns over SA's marine life. Numerous shark sightings have been made by locals, with authorities warning beachgoers to stay out of the waters. Deputy Premier Susan Close, who is also the state's environment minister, told ABC that the state is experiencing a huge algal bloom that is not only 'driving the sharks away' but also 'poisoning them' and in some cases making them act more aggressively, comparing the size of the bloom to Kangaroo Island. 'It is an algal bloom that is toxic for fish and so that might explain some of the different behaviour,' she said. 'But also they're coming in closer and as people may have seen on Henley Beach which is a lovely tourist and metropolitan beach in Adelaide, there was a large white (white shark) that washed up, dying, and then, in fact, did die.' Ms Close said the sharks were 'not behaving normally' in two ways. 'They're more numerous along our metropolitan coastline than we normally expect to see and also they appear to be in some distress and there's some talk of them being more aggressive,' she said. Multiple sharks, along with other marine animals like stingrays and other fish, have been found beached since March this year. 'This is an enormous algal bloom. In some parts, we think it's about 20m deep,' Ms Close said. OzFish has estimated nearly 200 species of fish had been killed by the deadly algal bloom, which Ms Close said can be attributed to last year's marine heatwave and a lack of winds that usually help break up the bloom. 'Not only is it poisonous (to fish) but also causes haemorrhaging of the skin and overnight it sucks oxygen out of the ocean beneath it which means that the kind of fish that can't move away are also suffocating,' she said. 'Because it's been unseasonably warm for so long, we have seen more people down by the beach wanting to go for a swim and that's why we have decided to increase the shark patrol for a little longer-than-normal.' The SA government announced on Sunday that shark patrols along the state's coastline would be extended until the June long weekend. South Australia has been hit by a string of fatal shark attacks this year. In January, 28-year-old surfer Lance Appleby was attacked by a shark on Granites Beach in Streaky Bay in the Eyre Peninsula. His body was never found. Teenger Khai Cowley was killed in an attack off Ethel Beach in December, 2023. Tod Gendle, 55, was attacked in October that year while he was surfing near Streaky Bay by a suspected 4m great white shark. Teacher Simon Baccanello, 46, was believed to have been killed by a shark while surfing at Walkers Rock near Ellison on the state's west coast. Ms Close warned locals swimming at the beach to be cautious of the 'threats out there'. 'The ocean is not behaving normally,' she said. 'This is exactly what we would expect to happen as climate change becomes more serious, and so really please pay attention'.
News.com.au
19-05-2025
- News.com.au
‘Toxic' waters behind the surge of shark attacks in Adelaide, SA
A 'toxic algal bloom' has been blamed for recent attacks and washing up of sharks on South Australia's beaches. Last week, a shark bit Richard Vinall, a man in his 60s out for a swim on Port Noarlunga, leaving him fighting for life. The horror attack came in the same period several sharks washed up on Adelaide's beaches, amid growing concerns over SA's marine life. Numerous shark sightings have been made by locals, with authorities warning beachgoers to stay out of the waters. Deputy Premier Susan Close, who is also the state's environment minister, told ABC that the state is experiencing a huge algal bloom that is not only 'driving the sharks away' but also 'poisoning them' and in some cases making them act more aggressively, comparing the size of the bloom to Kangaroo Island. 'It is an algal bloom that is toxic for fish and so that might explain some of the different behaviour,' she said. 'But also they're coming in closer and as people may have seen on Henley Beach which is a lovely tourist and metropolitan beach in Adelaide, there was a large white (white shark) that washed up, dying, and then, in fact, did die.' Ms Close said the sharks were 'not behaving normally' in two ways. 'They're more numerous along our metropolitan coastline than we normally expect to see and also they appear to be in some distress and there's some talk of them being more aggressive,' she said. Multiple sharks, along with other marine animals like stingrays and other fish, have been found beached since March this year. 'This is an enormous algal bloom. In some parts, we think it's about 20m deep,' Ms Close said. OzFish has estimated nearly 200 species of fish had been killed by the deadly algal bloom, which Ms Close said can be attributed to last year's marine heatwave and a lack of winds that usually help break up the bloom. 'Not only is it poisonous (to fish) but also causes haemorrhaging of the skin and overnight it sucks oxygen out of the ocean beneath it which means that the kind of fish that can't move away are also suffocating,' she said. 'Because it's been unseasonably warm for so long, we have seen more people down by the beach wanting to go for a swim and that's why we have decided to increase the shark patrol for a little longer-than-normal.' The SA government announced on Sunday that shark patrols along the state's coastline would be extended until the June long weekend. South Australia has been hit by a string of fatal shark attacks this year. In January, 28-year-old surfer Lance Appleby was attacked by a shark on Granites Beach in Streaky Bay in the Eyre Peninsula. His body was never found. Teenger Khai Cowley was killed in an attack off Ethel Beach in December, 2023. Tod Gendle, 55, was attacked in October that year while he was surfing near Streaky Bay by a suspected 4m great white shark. Teacher Simon Baccanello, 46, was believed to have been killed by a shark while surfing at Walkers Rock near Ellison on the state's west coast. Ms Close warned locals swimming at the beach to be cautious of the 'threats out there'. 'The ocean is not behaving normally,' she said. 'This is exactly what we would expect to happen as climate change becomes more serious, and so really please pay attention'.
The Independent
13-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Toxic algae bloom kills hundreds of marine species in Australia
A toxic algal bloom in South Australia has killed over 200 marine species, including deepwater sharks, octopuses and leafy sea dragons, in what conservationists have called one of the worst marine die-offs the region has ever seen. The algae, Karenia mikimotoi, has spread across more than 150km of coastline since it was first detected in March, nearly the size of the Kangaroo Island. Since the algae appeared, local people and scientists have observed mass deaths of fish, shellfish, sharks, sea dragons, rays, cuttlefish, and deepwater species along the southern coastline. South Australia 's environment minister said the outbreak had grown to an unprecedented scale. "It is a larger bloom than we have ever seen before," Susan Close said. Scientists say that it is being fuelled by an ongoing marine heatwave, with sea temperatures 2.5C above average, and calm conditions that allow it to thrive. Described as a 'toxic blanket', the bloom suffocates fish by damaging their gills and attacking red blood cells and the nervous system. It can lead to haemorrhaging and erratic behaviour in affected animals. 'It is like a horror movie for fish,' Brad Martin of OzFish told The Guardian. Ms Close said there was not much the government could do. "The only thing that is going to break this bloom up is a change in the weather and starting to get strong westerly winds," she said. An analysis of over 1,400 citizen science reports found around half of the dead species were ray-finned fish and more than a quarter were sharks and rays. Cephalopods like squid and cuttlefish and crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters were among the affected species as well. Though not toxic to humans, the algae has caused skin irritation and respiratory symptoms in some beachgoers. Authorities have temporarily closed several oyster farms and banned pipi harvesting in parts of South Australia. An alarm about the bloom was first sounded by beachgoers back in March after thick foam and dead marine animals washed up on Waitpinga and Parsons beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Professor Shauna Murray, a marine biologist at the University of Technology Sydney, identified the algae under a microscope and through DNA analysis. She told The Guardian that K mikimotoi was known to produce reactive oxygen that could suffocate marine life. South Australia's government said winds needed to disperse the algal bloom were being delayed by persistent high-pressure systems – another symptom of shifting climate patterns. Authorities say the full ecological and economic impact of the bloom is yet to be understood but environmental groups urge improved monitoring and stronger action on marine heatwaves, which are growing much more frequent as oceans continue to warm. Alongside the marine heatwave, southern Australia is suffering through one of the worst droughts on record. Ms Close sounded the alarm on how climate change was making the crisis worse. The minister said ocean monitoring showed 'a full-scale climate emergency in our coastal waters', with the bloom extending across an area roughly the size of Kangaroo Island and up to 20m deep. 'These extreme marine heat waves are not just anomalies, they are the new reality. And our marine ecosystems are the first casualties.'
