Seafood industry struggles as demand for seafood drops amid algal bloom uncertainty

Seafood retailers say customers are increasingly questioning the safety of South Australian catches as public trepidation continues to devastate the industry.

Despite messages from the government and industry that seafood is safe to eat, demand for fish continues to decline as the algal bloom disaster drags on.

While fisherman are being hardest hit, the entire sector is now operating under a cloud of uncertainty with wholesalers and retail stores also being increasingly impacted.

Director of Samtass Seafoods Tony Andonas said there was “definitely” a downturn in business compared to this time last year and that it was being felt by both larger and smaller operators.

“You can take downturns for a short while but when you’ve got staff and commitments and fixed costs … the uncertainty is not a nice thing,” he said.

“And in a matter like this with nature, how do you determine the end point?”

South Australian fish market operator Safcol are also experiencing a downturn, with manager Ian Mitchell explaining the catch rate was down 50 per cent, there was a decrease in demand and subsequently prices.

Seafood retailers across the state are experiencing a downturn in demand for fish due to the health concerns over the algal bloom crisis. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Despite messages from the government and industry reassuring the public that South Australian seafood was safe to eat, the message was not cutting through.

“I speak to our buyers every morning,” Mr Mitchell said.

“We have buyers from all around Adelaide, they come in to purchase their fish and they get customers asking if it’s caught in South Australia.

“If it is, they don’t want it … people are just scared.”

Mr Andonas also noted a change in public sentiment recently, with customers increasingly asking whether seafood was safe to eat – a question he welcomed and was happy to answer.

“There’s definitely trepidation out there, he said.

“There’s a certain segment of people that are very, very cautious in coming in because we’re getting phone calls and assuring people that if the seafood’s made its way to the shop, then it’s 100 per cent safe.”

Mr Andonas also pointed out that much of the seafood coming into stores was Australian produce from outside the state – such as fish caught by deep sea trawlers, interstate aquaculture and New Zealand produce.

In a bid to counter criticism of inaction, Premier Peter Malinauskas announced on Tuesday a $14m state contribution to help the industry – adding to a one-off $14m federal injection revealed on Monday.

Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia criticised the government’s response to the crisis. Picture: Brett Hartwig

But Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia said the government’s rescue package was largely “last minute”, ignoring calls from fishing and marine industries, along with more broader industries, caught in the crossfire of the environmental disaster.

“This has had broad ranging impacts on a number of industries reliant on our reputation as a clean coastal state, in particular, our seafood, tourism and related industries which has seen a dramatic drop in sales,” he said.

While Mr Mitchell is relieved the government is ready to help SA fishermen financially, he is also concerned about their mental health.

“This is all they know, so it’s not like they can go oh well, I’ll just put the boat away and go and do another job,” he said.

“I’m scared for our fishermen now that don’t see the end of the rainbow.”

A state government spokeswoman reiterated the government’s advice saying “South Australians can eat commercially sold seafood confident in the knowledge it is perfectly safe”.

Originally published as Seafood industry struggles as demand for seafood drops amid algal bloom uncertainty