Temporary restrictions as giant cuttlefish numbers plunge
Tourism operators have welcomed temporary restrictions to protect Whyalla’s giant cuttlefish, with one local blaming the harmful algal bloom for a “significant” reduction in individuals congregating for an annual mating ritual.
Signs will start appearing tomorrow, warning about temporary limitations on recreational activities at the Upper Spencer Gulf to protect the breeding site of Giant Australian Cuttlefish after “significantly low” numbers turned up for an annual mating ritual, with fines of up to $100,000 for those who breach the restrictions.
It comes after InDaily revealed last week that a Whyalla tourism operator has turned away thousands of people hoping to see the spectacular giant cuttlefish mating ritual, blaming the harmful algal bloom for causing the species to all but disappear from local waters.
Recreational activities such as swimming, snorkelling, diving and vessel anchoring will be temporarily banned to minimise disturbance to breeding cuttlefish and help protect their eggs and hatching, Environment and Tourism Minister Emily Bourke announced this morning.
The 90-day exclusion zone will apply from July 1 to an area of the Upper Spencer Gulf Marine Park, including the sanctuary zone between Black Point and Stony Point.
“This is a natural wonder – this is something we don’t see anywhere else in the world. Our giant cuttlefish come to one spot to breed, and that is in the Upper Spencer Gulf in Whyalla, and that’s why we need to have this temporary protection,” she said.
Cuttys Boat Tours owner and operator Matt Waller told InDaily last week that he had been unable to run a single glass-bottom boat tour this year due to depleted cuttlefish numbers, saying that it had caused a million-dollar black hole for Whyalla.
Waller believed that the harmful algal bloom, which was present on the Upper Spencer Gulf coastline for one week around New Year’s Eve, had decimated the species, saying, “I don’t think there’s anything else that’s changed or abnormal or weird or different”.
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“It’s always been a working-class, blue-collar town, but there’s a sense of pride that where we live is the most amazing place for one of the most unique scenarios ever to be seen, and it’s not happening,” he said.
Waller welcomed today’s announcement, saying that, “We believe that the few remaining animals should be left undisturbed to do what they need to do to survive, without human interference”.
South Australian Research and Development Institute executive director Professor Mike Steer, who said fertile cuttlefish were attracted to the Spencer Gulf’s rocky environment, which protects their eggs, said divers had encountered fewer than 50 individuals when they surveyed the area last week.
However, he said that the breeding season could extend to mid-August and was hopeful that cuttlefish would still turn up.
“This time of the year, we would expect to see tens of thousands of cuttlefish start to aggregate around that Point Lowly stretch – it’s a really important part of the ecosystem, that rocky area that stretches from Black Point right up to Point Lowly,” he said.
“What we want to do is encourage a small amount of spawning that’s happening there at the moment, plus we want to encourage the successful eggs and hatching.
“So, the best thing that we can do is just leave them undisturbed, and that’s the reason why this management strategy is put in to say, ‘All right, well, we know that the population is relatively reduced, let’s look after them’.”
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According to SARDI surveys, which began in 1998, numbers of cuttlefish fluctuate significantly from year to year, with a high of 247,000 in 2020 and a low of 13,500 in 2013.
Asked if the harmful algal bloom was a factor in the depleted populations this season, Steer said it was a possibility.
“We did see that the bloom pushed up around that area around late December, January, so there may be a link there, but we also know that temperature and food availability drive separate populations, and that includes cuttlefish, calamari and octopus,” he said.
“So, there could be a number of environmental drivers that are helping to shape that population stream.”
When asked if the government had considered activating a bubble curtain meant to protect cuttlefish populations during the harmful algal bloom, Steer said that the bubble was only meant to protect eggs.
“Once those eggs successfully hatch, they’re off, and the bubble curtain can’t be used. It’s only there to protect the developing embryos and eggs,” he said.
Environment Minister Bourke said that the restrictions were supported by local tourism operators and the Whyalla council, adding that there would be grants available to affected businesses that can demonstrate they have lost 30 per cent of their income.
Whyalla Mayor Phill Stone said there was still plenty to do in Whyalla despite the restrictions, including the annual Cuttlefest and award-winning steelworks tours.
“We’ve got dolphins and seals; the only circular jetty in the southern hemisphere; sunsets to die for; stranded shingle ridges; the sea on one side with the outback on the other; plus the only manufacturer of structural steel and rails in Australia – one of the few operational steelworks you can view up close with our award-winning tours,” he said.
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