Latest news with #NationalNaturalDisasterArrangements
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Call for help with big algal bloom choking coastal life
Calls are growing for immediate federal support and intervention in SA's algae crisis, as fishing and tourism industries struggle with the impact of a months-long bloom with no end in sight. The naturally occurring algal bloom has killed tens of thousands of marine animals of almost 400 species and caused widespread disruption to commercial fisheries and aquaculture since being identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in March. SA senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the algal bloom was a national disaster requiring a national response, calling on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese "to come to Adelaide to stand on the beaches with me and to take some action". "People are seeing dead fish and marine life washed up on our metro and country beaches every day, people are reporting their dogs are getting sick after walking along the beach," the Greens senator said on Wednesday. Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation chair Ken Henry said the massive destruction of marine life was "not an early warning, that's a late warning". "It's well past time that we and others in the world dealt properly with threats of climate change and the warming of the oceans, which ... lies at the heart of the catastrophe that's occurring (in SA)," Dr Henry told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday. On Tuesday, SA Environment Minister Susan Close said the bloom was a natural disaster but it did not fit the criteria of the National Natural Disaster Arrangements. The state government was working with the federal government on ways to tackle it, she said. A fisheries patrol vessel began underwater observations in the Gulf of St Vincent on Wednesday to understand the effect of the bloom on the ecosystem. Opposition primary industries spokeswoman Nicola Centofanti said she was shocked the government waited almost four months to start monitoring the impact on marine life. The algal bloom has spread along the SA coastline to the upper Spencer Gulf, the north coast of Kangaroo Island, the Fleurieu Peninsula, the Coorong and Adelaide's Port River. Toxins linked to the bloom have been found in oysters and mussels at Port Lincoln, and harvesting at local farms has been halted for at least four weeks. Senator Hanson-Young hosted a community forum in Adelaide on Tuesday attended by hundreds of people, and will call for a parliamentary inquiry into the algal bloom when federal parliament returns next week.
West Australian
5 days ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Call for help with big algal bloom choking coastal life
Calls are growing for immediate federal support and intervention in SA's algae crisis, as fishing and tourism industries struggle with the impact of a months-long bloom with no end in sight. The naturally occurring algal bloom has killed tens of thousands of marine animals of almost 400 species and caused widespread disruption to commercial fisheries and aquaculture since being identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in March. SA senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the algal bloom was a national disaster requiring a national response, calling on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese "to come to Adelaide to stand on the beaches with me and to take some action". "People are seeing dead fish and marine life washed up on our metro and country beaches every day, people are reporting their dogs are getting sick after walking along the beach," the Greens senator said on Wednesday. Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation chair Ken Henry said the massive destruction of marine life was "not an early warning, that's a late warning". "It's well past time that we and others in the world dealt properly with threats of climate change and the warming of the oceans, which ... lies at the heart of the catastrophe that's occurring (in SA)," Dr Henry told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday. On Tuesday, SA Environment Minister Susan Close said the bloom was a natural disaster but it did not fit the criteria of the National Natural Disaster Arrangements. The state government was working with the federal government on ways to tackle it, she said. A fisheries patrol vessel began underwater observations in the Gulf of St Vincent on Wednesday to understand the effect of the bloom on the ecosystem. Opposition primary industries spokeswoman Nicola Centofanti said she was shocked the government waited almost four months to start monitoring the impact on marine life. The algal bloom has spread along the SA coastline to the upper Spencer Gulf, the north coast of Kangaroo Island, the Fleurieu Peninsula, the Coorong and Adelaide's Port River. Toxins linked to the bloom have been found in oysters and mussels at Port Lincoln, and harvesting at local farms has been halted for at least four weeks. Senator Hanson-Young hosted a community forum in Adelaide on Tuesday attended by hundreds of people, and will call for a parliamentary inquiry into the algal bloom when federal parliament returns next week.
West Australian
6 days ago
- 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
6 days ago
- 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.
