Yorke Peninsula towns struggle as SA’s toxic algae bloom drives away tourists and kills marine life

Towns and businesses along the usually bustling Yorke Peninsula are struggling to survive, as the once-beautiful sea that draws tourists grows sicker by the day.

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The Yorke Peninsula aquaculture community is taking matters into its own hands to test water for the toxic algal bloom, as some seafood outlets import from overseas because consumers refuse to eat locally caught fish.

Two of the worst-hit towns, Stansbury and Port Vincent, are struggling as the industry reels from bans, job lay-offs and falling sales.

Steve Bowley is one those affected, with 5000 oyster baskets in the water off Stansbury that he has been unable to touch since the bans were imposed in May. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Oyster farmers in the area, who have been unable to harvest their stock for more than 80 days following the detection of brevetoxinsin the water, are at breaking point, with many being tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Steve Bowley, managing partner of Pacific Estate Oysters, is one of those affected, with 5000 oyster baskets in the water off Stansbury that he has been unable to touch since the bans were imposed in May.

Satellite image from July 15 showing chlorophyll concentration in SA waters indicating the spread of algae. Source: PIRSA

When The Advertiser visited Pacific Estate Oysters on Thursday, the conveyors, which Mr Bowley says can process 10,000 oysters in a couple of hours, were idle.

During the day, his business hosted a special workshop – led by marine ecologist Faith Coleman – to teach oysters growers how to conduct their own water testing.

“This bloom is unprecedented,” Mr Bowley said.

“We’ve not seen this in Australia before.”

He sends his oysters to New Zealand for testing, with the results taking “weeks”.

So, even if the oysters are safe, he won’t know until the results come back from New Zealand.

Stansbury fisherman Paul Germein fears “everyone” will want a piece of the $28m promised by the state and federal governments. Picture: Brett Hartwig

“We don’t even have the laboratories accredited to test this algae, to identify it and measure the toxicity, because we have never seen this before,” he said.

Port Vincent Oysters co-owner Judy Degiglio, whose leases closed on May 19, said that even when they reopened, she would have to win back the confidence of consumers before her business could fully recover.

“Our oysters look really good,” she said. “They’re growing, they look really nice and healthy.

“We’re just not allowed to sell them to the public.”

Caravan parks and hotels now count locals as their only patrons, with tourists turning away from the Yorke Peninsula in large numbers amid the devastation being caused by the algal bloom.

Jo Barrett, who owns Port Vincent Kiosk, said that prior to the bloom, she would be busy serving up freshly made cinnamon doughnuts and locally caught garfish to the many tourists who descended on the town.

Now Ms Barrett said she was having to cut her staff’s hours as the customers disappeared and earnings dropped, which she said was difficult for a family-run business.

“The numbers have dropped right away,” she said.

Paul Germein hasn’t caught a fish in 75 days. Picture: Brett Hartwig

“Monday night, I think the staff saw two customers after 2pm.

“So, we’ve had to cut their hours down – they’ve all lost at least eight hours a week.

“If this continues, I may have to look at making it even less.”

Ms Barrett said people were “scared” to eat locally caught seafood.

“We used to have a sign out the front that said ‘Local garfish’,” she said.

“I had to take it down because people don’t want to eat local fish, they’re scared.”

Ms Barrett said Port Vincent Kiosk now imported seafood from overseas, showing off a tray of butterfish from South Africa.

While a small band of regular local customers remained, Ms Barrett said the influx of visitors from the rest of the Yorke Peninsula – and the state – had dwindled significantly.

Commercial fishers have even been struggling to catch fish to sell.

Fourth-generation Stansbury fisherman Paul Germein said he hadn’t caught a fish “for 75 days”.

“We usually catch plenty of squid this time of year, because they breed here,” he said.

“The big squid died when the bloom started.

“The little squid scattered up the top of the gulf, so we chased them for a while, but they’ve died off now.”

Port Vincent Kiosk owner Jo Barrett said she was having to cut her staff’s hours as the customers disappeared. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Mr Germein, who is 11 months away from retirement, fears for the future of the fishing industry in a town his family have been in since 1902.

“I’ll persevere for the meantime, and hopefully a package of money will come … that there’ll be some sort of subsidy,” he said.

Mr Germein said if the $28m promised by the state and federal governments to help those affected by the bloom was “spent wisely”, it would be enough to keep the industry going.

However, he fears “everyone” will want a piece of it.

“The local fishermen, I don’t think we’re going to get a lot of it,” Mr Germein said.

“I don’t expect a lot of it, but I’d just like to think that there’ll be enough to live with.”

Mr Germein said towns affected by the bloom would have to “adapt” to survive.

“Businesses that are struggling now rely on the holiday season for the top-up for the year,” he said.

“But that’s not going to happen.

“I can see places closing because of the lack of income.

“People come to Stansbury to holiday at the beach and to do some fishing, and that’s not going to happen now.”

Originally published as Yorke Peninsula towns struggle as SA’s toxic algae bloom drives away tourists and kills marine life