The South Australian government has re-imposed a ban on fishing for Australian giant cuttlefish in the Gulf of Spencer, north of Arno Bay and Wallaroo.
Key points:
- The state government has imposed a temporary ban on fishing for Australian giant cuttlefish in the upper Gulf of Spencer.
- Every year, Australian giant cuttlefish migrate into the waters around Whyalla to breed, attracting tourists as well.
- The city council has applauded the measure, calling it a “game changer” for the region
Closure means that recreational and commercial fishermen will no longer be able to catch animals during their annual migration through the Gulf of Spencer during their breeding season.
Secretary of Primary Industries and Regional Development Clare Scriven said reinstating the ban was important to protect cuttlefish.
“After the ban was lifted, the numbers dropped to a seven-year low,” Ms Scriven said.
“It simply came to our notice then.
“It’s a good result for sustainability, it’s a good result for tourism and it’s a good use of a water resource.”
Whyalla Mayor Clare McLaughlin said the reintroduction of the ban would be a “game changer” for the local region, as cuttlefish attract tourists.
“It allows cuttlefish to climb into their aggregation area, around Point Lowly, and protects them in the process,” he said.
Giant cuttlefish from Australia in Stoney Point, near Whyalla, South Australia. (Provided by: Carl Charter)
“It’s iconic for our city, so it’s important that we take care of it.”
Recovering the ban
The ban was originally established in 2013, when cuttlefish migration was only 13,000, below 200,000 just a few years earlier.
However, the ban was lifted under the previous state government in 2020, when the population was about 240,000.
At the time, the state government said the population had recovered enough.
Ms Scriven said the ban would be in place until May 2023, but the government will study how to make it permanent.
RecFish SA representative Alan Hall said he supported the ban, but expressed concern that army training at the Cultana training camp could damage the cuttlefish or disrupt cuttlefish training. its breeding cycle.
“The other day I was in the water and I could literally feel the shock waves coming through the water when they were firing,” he said.
Cuttlefish are attracted to the waters around the rocky point, near the industrial city of Whyalla. Looking across the coast, you wouldn’t know that more than 120,000 cuttlefish swim in the waters below. (ABC West Coast SA: Samantha Jonscher)
Giles member Eddie Hughes said that while there was scientific evidence that shock waves could damage cuttlefish as they traveled through the water, the study concluded that it used cuttlefish in a tank instead of do it in the ocean.
“The study does not reproduce what is happening here near Whyalla, but after saying that I will ask the department if the South Australian Research and Development Institute has any concerns,” he said.
In a statement, Defense said it was committed to sustainable environmental management and undertook its planning to minimize environmental impact.