Tougher fishing restrictions as govt scales back algal bloom testing
Algal bloom testing and beach clean-ups are being wound back but new restrictions are in place on fishing after concerning news on three important species.
Algal bloom testing and beach clean-ups will be wound back following positive monitoring results, the state government announced today, but South Australia’s algal bloom spokesperson Professor Mike Steer has declared “the job is not done”.
Premier Peter Malinauskas told a press conference that 9,400 kilograms of dead sea life were washing up on SA beaches a week in December 2025, but that clean-up crews were now removing less than 50 kilograms a week.
Regular testing for Karenia would revert to monthly testing in areas with non-active blooms, Malinauskas announced today.
Malinauskas said the only area continuing to record “elevated” levels of Karenia was Bickers Island off the southeast of the Eyre Peninsula, with 16,490 cells per litre of seawater.
“Put simply, for a sustained period, we have not seen high levels of Karenia – in fact, in most instances, we’ve seen effectively zero Karenia throughout the state’s coastline,” he said.
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However, it was not all good news, with restrictions on Southern Calamari fishing extended across Gulf St Vincent and the Spencer Gulf – the Premier saying the government was “very concerned” about their numbers.
Additionally, a recreational and charter boat closure will be put in place for Garfish and Gulf St Vincent, which are already closed to commercial fishing.
There would also be a spawning closure for King George Whiting until July 31 to protect the species during breeding season.
The state government will also scale back the Beachsafe app, which provides daily reports on algal bloom conditions at popular beaches, while the algal bloom hotline would become an automated service.
Malinauskas said that long-term coastline monitoring and research would be maintained, saying that while “it was very good news that the algal bloom has essentially cleared up”, “it is also true that it might come back”.
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South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) executive director, Professor Mike Steer, said that while recent testing results showed “positive trends”, “the job is not done”.
“We’ve learnt a lot over the past year, and there are still some research gaps that need to be filled to ensure that South Australia remains prepared in case this flares up again in the future,” he said.
“This particular Karenia species is responsive to environmental conditions, and it has in the past turned the corner, so we need to be vigilant in terms of our monitoring.”
Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven said that the recovery of fisheries had been the “number one goal” throughout the algal bloom.
EcoProTem principal ecologist Faith Coleman said reduced water testing was “not ideal” but “to be expected”.
“In relation to beach condition observations by surf lifesavers and the beach clean-ups, I am glad that we have finally reached a point where these emergency public relations responses to this event are no longer required,” she said.
She hoped the government would now invest in other measures, including “dealing with the complex of follow-up blooms of other HAB and bacteria species we are now experiencing within the impacted zones”.
Shadow Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Nicola Centofanti called on the government to continue supporting all fishers.
“These bans don’t just affect those out of the water – they flow right through coastal economies, impacting local jobs, small businesses, and regional communities,” she said.
She said the government was cutting back funding when “we should be maintaining vigilance”, saying they “clearly haven’t learnt a thing”.
“Karenia is still present in our waters, and it was at this time last year, heading into the winter, that the toxic bloom worsened against expectations,” she said.
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