Momentum builds in campaign to save Whyalla’s giant cuttlefish
More than 4600 people have joined calls to reverse changes allowing fishermen to target the Upper Spencer Gulf’s iconic giant cuttlefish, whose annual breeding pilgrimage was made world-famous by David Attenborough.
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Pressure is mounting on the State Government to reverse a decision allowing fishermen to target Whyalla’s iconic giant cuttlefish in the Spencer Gulf.
More than 4600 people have signed an online petition calling for cephalopods to again be protected as thousands of the animals are believed to have been caught as they move in an out of their breeding area at False Bay.
A separate petition is also circulating in the town – to be tabled in Parliament by Giles MP Eddie Hughes – as fears grow about the future of the species and the impact the changes will have on the tourism bonanza created by their annual spawning aggregation.
Until a few weeks ago, the northern Spencer Gulf was a no-take zone for the Australian giant cuttlefish.
But while a protection area still exists for False Bay, the State Government has allowed fishing outside this area following an increase in the species’ population.
Commercial dive operator Tony Bramley said it was “ridiculous” that the region’s marine attraction, which has gained worldwide attention, was being compromised by allowing fishing next door.
Mr Bramley believes tens of thousands of the animals have already been fished from the area since the changes came into place.
“Where (divers) stay in the Lighthouse Cottages, they’re looking down at fishing boats black with ink. It doesn’t look like we’re serious about conserving this amazing spectacle,” he said.
Mr Bramley said the northern Spencer Gulf protection zone was introduced in 2013 after the population size plummeted. The Government says there are no longer sustainability concerns over the population, and last year’s count was 114,596.
“It’s very frustrating to have the Primary Industries (Minister) allowing fishing when we don’t know what happened last time – there’s no science to explain why the numbers almost disappeared in 2013,” he said.
“We’ve got an obligation to the rest of the world to make sure that we don’t lose this aggregation. This only happens here – one spot on this planet.”
Mr Hughes also believed thousands of the animals had been fished so far and was seeking more information from the Government.
“A handful of commercial operators are getting the benefit at the expense of something that attracts worldwide attention,” Mr Hughes said.
“When you’ve got documentary-makers turning up to Whyalla to look at this, you think, why are you exploiting this aggregation?
“We’ve had hundreds of divers there on a weekend and during the week and that pumps a fair amount of money into the economy.”
Primary Industries Minister Tim Whetstone said the Government used the best available scientific advice to inform its decision-making “in the best interests of healthy fish stocks and all South Australians who rely on them”.
He said there were no longer sustainability concerns for the cuttlefish, and fishing had a negligible impact on the population as long as the False Bay permanent closure was in place.
“The annual SARDI scientific monitoring program indicates the species’ abundance in the northern Spencer Gulf region has remained high over the past five years, exceeding 110,000 individuals a year with 114,596 cuttlefish recorded in 2019,” Mr Whetstone said.
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“The SARDI scientists have just completed their 2020 survey, with results pending later in the year. Anecdotally from dive operators and fishers, this year’s spawning population appears very healthy.”
Mr Whetstone said there were strict reporting requirements for the fishing sector.
“Fishers provide catch data monthly in arrears and this information will be assessed by the working group to help inform cuttlefish management for 2021.”