South Australia has reopened recreational King George whiting fishing about a month earlier than planned, handing anglers a rare piece of good news after a punishing run of algal bloom closures.
The seasonal closure began on 1 May under the state's Algal Bloom Fish Recovery Program, shutting whiting fishing across several gulf zones to protect the fish during spawning. It had been due to run until 31 July. Instead, the government has lifted it early in the affected areas, which took in southern Gulf St Vincent, Investigator Strait, parts of eastern and southern Spencer Gulf and Yorke Peninsula waters. With those zones open again, whiting can now be targeted throughout the state.
Behind the change is revised advice from the South Australian Research and Development Institute, the state's fisheries science body. SARDI found the peak spawning period for King George whiting falls between 1 March and 30 June, so the extra month of closure through July was not required to safeguard the stock.
Bag limits still apply and differ by region. Spencer Gulf anglers can keep 10 whiting each per day, with a 30-fish boat limit for three or more people aboard. In Gulf St Vincent and around Kangaroo Island, where the bloom hit hardest, the limit is five per person and 15 per boat.
King George whiting is among South Australia's most sought-after table fish, and the winter shutdown had kept anglers off one of their favourite targets. Lifting the closure early, on the argument that the science rather than the calendar should decide when the fish are safe to catch, is one of the first times authorities have eased a bloom-era rule instead of tightening it.