Victory as Minister agrees to meet on dolphin campaign

ENVIRONMENT Minister David Speirs has agreed to meet with Adelaide dolphin expert Dr Mike Bossley following the success of our Protect Our Dolphins campaign.

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ENVIRONMENT Minister David Speirs has agreed to meet with Adelaide dolphin expert Dr Mike Bossley following the success of our Protect Our Dolphins campaign.

A whopping 11,000 people have signed the Messenger Community News campaign petition calling for a 10-knot (18.5km/h) speed limit to be introduced in the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary.

The sanctuary’s speed limit at present varies from 4 knots to unlimited — a situation that has led many frustrated locals to lament it is “a sanctuary in name only”.

Mr Speirs will meet with Dr Bossley, who has been studying the Port River bottlenose dolphins for the past 30 years, as well as Whale and Dolphin Conservation manager Declan Andrews.

The face-to-face will take place next week and give Dr Bossley and Mr Andrews an opportunity to explain the danger the Port River dolphins are in from speeding boats. The Protect Our Dolphins campaign was triggered by the tragic deaths of four calves in the Port River sanctuary this season.

An autopsy confirmed that two-week-old calf Holly — whose body was the only one to be recovered by authorities — was killed by a boat in January.

A recent report by the South Australian museum found that 17 out of 35 dolphins died from blunt trauma impact that Dr Bossley believes was “almost certainly due to being hit by boats.”

The campaign has attracted support the Whale and Dolphin Conservation and international group Sea Shepherd.

Port Adelaide state and federal MPs Susan Close and Mark Butler as well as Port Adelaide Enfield Mayor Gary Johanson are also backing it.

Dr Close has written to the Transport Minister requesting he reduce the speed limit.

A new speed limit buoy has been installed at Angus Inlet.

THE BUOYS ARE BACK

YELLOW speed limit buoys are back in the Port River — despite the Environment Department saying it had “no current plans” to reinstall them just two months ago.

The move has been hailed as a victory for the Messenger Community News Protect Our Dolphins (POD) campaign, which is calling on the State Government to keep dolphins safe in the Port River. Dolphin expert Dr Mike Bossley said the return of the buoys showed the campaign was making “significant progress”.

“These are easily the most prominent speed signs so hopefully they will make it more obvious to boaties that speed limits apply in this limited area,” Dr Bossley said.

It comes as Dr Bossley prepares to meet with Environment Minister David Speirs to talk about protecting the dolphins in the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary in another victory for the POD campaign.

Three floating yellow buoys were installed — two at Angas Inlet and one at Barker Inlet at Garden Island — by the Environment Department last week.

The original buoy stationed at Angas Inlet — which clearly stated the 7 knot speed limit — broke last year and was not replaced, despite calls from local boaties and conservationists.

They say the failure to replace the buoy led to a surge in hoon activity in the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary at Garden Island.

Garden Island kayaker Bob Newlands and Sharon Sharp from the Whale and Dolphin Conservation first raised the alarm about the lack of signage late last year.

Mr Newlands said this was “step one” in making the area safer for people and dolphins.

“A positive change has been made,” he said. “However before we celebrate it is important that we remember that this is a reinstatement of a previous position and as such it is not really a step forward.”

Mr Newland said “step two” was to get the State Government to remove “confusing” and poorly located signs in Angas Inlet and by the Garden Island boat ramp which say “7 knots in the channel”.

The speed limit both inside and outside of the channel at Angas Inlet is 7 knots.

As a result, he said, people were speeding outside of the boating channel because they believed there was no limit.

“I have witnessed too many near misses involving speeding boats in Angas Inlet,” he said. “The boats are operating in accordance with the (Transport Department’s) speed limits signs but … in contravention of the Harbors and Navigation Regulations.”

Ms Sharp said she was “very happy” the authorities reinstalled the buoys.

“Especially because when I asked about them it was implied they would not be putting them back,” Ms Sharp said. “I’m hopeful it will help reinforce the speed limits in the area.”