Oyster farmers have formed a blockade at Haslam, 45 kilometres from Streaky Bay, to stop more oysters from a closed fishery being put in the water.
It comes after 20 tonnes of oysters from the closed growing area of Franklin Harbor were moved to open waters in Haslam on Wednesday.
The stock movement, which was approved by Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA) on Wednesday, came as a shock to local oyster growers.
The blockade was formed about 45 kilometres from Streaky Bay. (Supplied: Mario Nicholls)
In messages seen by the ABC, a second request to move oysters from two growing zones affected by the harmful algal bloom is being considered.
Wayne Holmes, who is at the protest with half a dozen others, said they were not leaving until growers got confirmation the Franklin Harbour oysters were safe.
“They did tell us that they were accepting translocation applications, but no one was informed that it had happened,” he said.
Growers ‘blindsided’ by PIRSA approval
SA Oyster Growers Association chair Peter Treloar said the peak body and its members felt “blindsided” by the government decision to approve the relocation without consulting them.
An oyster farm on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. (ABC: Brooke Neindorf)
Mr Treloar, who met with Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven, PIRSA and the South Australian Research and Development Institute on Thursday afternoon, said the organisation’s phones had been “running hot with concerns from growers”.
“[The] government is saying to us that the risk is minimal, and that may well be so, but a minimal risk is some risk and we don’t want to spread the bloom unnecessarily,” he said.
“We were blindsided by this decision. We discovered yesterday afternoon that this approval had come forward.
Streaky Bay oyster growers blocking the entrance to the boat ramp at Haslam. (Supplied: Wayne Holmes)
“We were aware that an application was in but we had no consultation or a heads up with our association … We are a peak body that represent a vast majority of South Australian oyster growers and we need to take their concerns on board, especially those on the west coast at the moment because they are pretty upset.
“The potential is always there for the harmful algal bloom and the associated brevetoxin to be spread and we just don’t want to see that happen. We believe it’s too much of a risk.”
Fears industry could be destroyed
Coffin Bay Shellfish manager Glyn Owen said he understood many farmers were in “dire straits” due to an inability to sell or shift stock.
But he said moving oysters from closed zones, particularly those impacted by warmer waters and nutrient-rich upwelling, was too risky.
Coffin Bay oyster grower Glyn Owen (Supplied: Glyn Owen)
Mr Owen said harmful algae or brevotoxins could either be carried or filtered into the water column by the transported oysters, which he feared could move from Haslam to nearby growing zones in Streaky Bay and Smoky Bay.
“We’re talking about 80 per cent of the oyster industry that’s still managing to function and supply the market,” he said.
“You could decimate the whole industry and until the science tells us they won’t, they shouldn’t be shifting it.
“We are a $50 to $60 million industry, second only in aquaculture income to the tuna industry.
Oyster growers blockading access to the water on Thursday. (Supplied: Travis Barber)
“Who wants to risk that?”
He said many growers were also critical of the consultation process.
“It was already basically underway by the time we were notified — it was quite a shock,” he said
Member for Flinders Sam Telfer said his phone had been “blowing up” with messages from concerned farmers.
During the Oyster Growers Association AGM, which was held two weeks ago, Mr Telfer said there was lots of talk about the need for “tight science” about the movement and management of oysters from closed zones.
Franklin Harbour oyster operations were closed as a precautionary measure in July due to the algal bloom.
Member for Flinders Sam Telfer (Supplied: Sam Telfer)
“I was surprised to be getting these messages because I hadn’t seen any science that gave any certainty,” he said.
“I thought we got assurance at the time from the department at the AGM that this wouldn’t happen without there being significant consultation and communication with growers.”
Risk of oysters generating bloom deemed ‘low’
PIRSA said it had approved an application to move Pacific oysters from Franklin Harbour to Haslam following a “thorough independent risk assessment and analysis” which drew on advice from “algal bloom experts and oyster aquaculture regulators”.
The risk of relocated oysters generating a bloom was deemed to be “low risk”, it said.
“The applicant is the only operator at Haslam and the oysters will remain in a quarantined area until testing shows a reduction in brevetoxins to below food safety levels,” a PIRSA spokesperson said.
“Moving or ‘relaying’ oyster stock is a normal part of oyster growing operations and occurs when closures are in place under national guidelines to ensure compliance with the Australian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program (ASQAP) and export standards”.
Cautious optimism for metro beaches
SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said data collected over the past 24 hours showed there had been a “very, very significant reduction in the karenia cell counts across a range of beach locations” in metropolitan Adelaide.
Among the testing cited by the premier was Glenelg Jetty, which he said had gone from 3.9 million cells a week ago to 0 in the most recent data.
Henley Beach Jetty had gone from 7.3 million karenia cells a week ago to 50.
Mr Malinauskas said this was a “significant departure from what we’ve seen in the past”.
“In the past, we’ve seen some go up, some go down, some go down, some go up, and it has varied dramatically,” he said.
“There’s a degree of consistency with a significant reduction that we’ve seen at these critical sites.”
Peter Malinauskas said data collected over the past 24 hours showed there had been a “very, very significant reduction” in the karenia cell counts across metropolitan beaches. (ABC News)
But he said it was “not a set of numbers that we should get too excited about just yet”, adding that while the results were “positive and welcome”, it did not mean the bloom was over.
He said there could be a “range of contributing factors”, and more research was needed to determine “exactly what is going on”.
“No one is suggesting that the bloom is going or gone,” Mr Malinauskas said.
“What we’re saying is that these are good numbers that can be approached with a high degree of caution, but some optimism, and we’re very cautious about it, particularly given that it could change and simply come back again.”
Meanwhile, the government said the recreational pipi harvesting season will open around Goolwa Beach to Port Elliott as usual from November 1.
“But we’re making clear that the pipis should not — and we’ve been consistent about this all the way through, this is not a change of advice — but self-harvested pipis should not be used for human consumption, only for bait purposes,” Mr Malinauskas said.