On Thursday morning, beachgoers at Glenelg Beach reported an alarming sight: brown foam blanketing the shoreline, a clear indicator of an algal bloom. Both federal and state officials are ramping up to address the growing epidemic. Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt participated in the state government’s weekly briefing on algal blooms. Despite this policy shift, Mr. Watt promised the public that he remained focused on the issue. He made clear that he had been sounding the alarm on the crisis well before July.
As Mike Steer wrote recently, foam events are increasingly popular. One of the best examples of this comes from the community event held at Glenelg. Steer pointed out that regions, such as the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, are exhibiting an encouraging downward trend in brevetoxin concentrations. Yet in other parts of the country, challenges remain. Yet it continues to the present day along the west coast of Spencer Gulf. This section goes from approximately the Arno Bay area down to the Lucky Bay region, he explained.
New Hotline for Public Engagement
In response to increasing public fears over toxic algal blooms, Premier Peter Malinauskas had a pre-Christmas announcement. He announced a new hotline, which is meant to help give the community the correct information. The hotline is available every day of the week from 9am-5pm. So don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and ask us anything you want to know about algal blooms!
Malinauskas added, in light of the often false information shared on social media, that real, reliable communication is critical. Perhaps the most ambitious part of dealing with the algal bloom has been the effort to communicate good information to the community. We’re in a dogfight with the Conspiracy Theory 500 that’s taking place on social media platforms.
He even claimed that the hotline is designed to help foster conversations between the public and their elected officials. “We did want to provide a hotline so people can engage with government, get official information by picking up the phone and asking questions,” he added.
Economic Impact and Calls for Business Support
The algal bloom that has impacted the economy not just by sounds threatening public health, but by directly impacting local businesses. Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia called on the state government to accelerate the release of its summer plan. He urged additional assistance for businesses harmfully impacted by changes to environmental regulations. Tarzia underscored the need for some businesses that were not able to secure grant funding. As a result, they did not come close to achieving the required 30% drop in revenue.
Tarzia urged for automatic relief for the businesses affected by the destructive algal bloom. These businesses are desperate for immediate relief,” he stated. In response, he proposed disaster relief that would look more like the automatic relief of the type seen during COVID-19 shutdowns.
He further stressed that businesses of all sizes experience obstacles in obtaining assistance because the application process is so arduous. “The grant application process is too burdensome. There are hoops that you need to jump through,” he observed. Tarzia argues that direct support would go a long way towards providing the comfort and assurance that lifelines to people deeply need during these difficult times. “Sometimes in-person help or a friendly voice on the phone makes all the difference,” he continued.
Ongoing Monitoring Efforts
Our officials are keeping a watchful eye on algal bloom conditions. Through blending satellite imagery with oceanographic data, they are predicting brevetoxin levels in bays where commercially produced shellfish are raised. Steer affirmed that areas impacted by harmful algal blooms are placed under permanent watch. This ensures that safety measures do all they can to protect not only public health, but the safety of our seafood.
From what we know about where that algae came from and where it’s been moving along the coast, we should begin to see start seeing that occurrence,” Steer says. He stressed the need to remain watchful as things begin to look different. Overall, he said, there were encouraging signs. Some marine species, such as cuttlefish, are not negatively impacted by toxic algae blooms, helping to support ecosystem health and biodiversity.
