South Australia’s giant cuttlefish population has just experienced a successful hatching season, despite the algal bloom, with the Malinauskas Government now moving to provide lasting protection for the iconic species through new legislation.
Latest monitoring suggests more than 600,000 eggs laid at Cuttlefish Coast have already hatched, with more than 90 per cent of the estimated 800,000 eggs expected to hatch by the end of October.
The outcome represents a major environmental and economic win for the Upper Spencer Gulf, where the algal bloom was considered a high risk of harming the unique population.
New legislation to ensure permanent safeguarding of giant cuttlefish will be introduced to State Parliament today, reinforcing the Malinauskas Government’s commitment to protecting the iconic species.
The Fisheries Management (Cuttlefish–Northern Spencer Gulf) Amendment Bill 2025 will formalise regulations that prohibit taking cuttlefish in the northern Spencer Gulf. Anyone caught taking Giant Cuttlefish faces a fine of up to $20,000.
In 2022, the Malinauskas Government put restrictions in place to protect the species which will be enshrined in law through this legislation.
The legislation will provide greater certainty and permanency for the ban, while maintaining existing allowances for scientific research and monitoring through a permit system.
The Malinauskas Government, through the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) and South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), has been monitoring Cuttlefish Coast.
Monitoring and evaluation included tracking the algal bloom’s movement with twice-weekly water quality testing at multiple sites and observing cuttlefish egg development rates.
An estimated 64,000 giant cuttlefish bred at Point Lowly between May and August, which hatch between September and November.
To mitigate the risk of the harmful algal bloom, the State and Federal governments invested in a bubble curtain as an insurance policy to help shield about 50,000 to 80,000 cuttlefish eggs.
It was the first time the technology, which creates an underwater barrier to mitigate the effects of algal blooms, had been trialled in South Australia.
The bubble curtain will remain available in the Upper Spencer Gulf for use in subsequent giant cuttlefish hatching seasons.
This season’s juveniles will now migrate from Cuttlefish Coast into the Upper Spencer Gulf region before returning as adults to the same spawning ground the next year.
Quotes
Attributable to Clare Scriven
The algal bloom has emphasised the importance of doing everything we can to protect South Australia’s marine life now and into the future.
The Giant Australian Cuttlefish aggregation in northern Spencer Gulf is a unique natural phenomenon.
Each winter, tens of thousands of these extraordinary animals gather near Whyalla to spawn, creating an incredible underwater spectacle and attracting visitors and divers from around the world.
We know the local community, fishers and environmental groups have long supported the protection of the Giant Cuttlefish, and this legislation demonstrates our ongoing commitment to science-based management of South Australia’s marine environments.
This Bill enshrines in law protections to help ensure future generations can continue to experience one of South Australia’s most extraordinary natural events.
Attributable to Lucy Hood
The Australian giant cuttlefish is a unique marine animal and the success of this year’s breeding season amid the threat of the algal bloom is really positive.
The state government responded to the scientific experts, who advised the bubble curtain would provide the species the best chance of surviving the algal bloom.
Protecting the cuttlefish required an innovative strategy and we were prepared to look at all options to ensure this precious population was not harmed.
