Fitzgerald Bay

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Fitzgerald Bay
Becky's Bay
Australia South Australia relief location map.png
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Fitzgerald Bay
Location in South Australia
Location Spencer Gulf, South Australia
Coordinates 32°56′10″S137°46′25″E / 32.93611°S 137.77361°E / -32.93611; 137.77361 Coordinates: 32°56′10″S137°46′25″E / 32.93611°S 137.77361°E / -32.93611; 137.77361
Type Bay
Basin  countriesAustralia

Fitzgerald Bay is a large bay located between Point Lowly and Backy Point in South Australia's upper Spencer Gulf. The bay's shoreline consists mostly of pebble beaches and sparse grey mangroves. In the 2000s the bay was used for the farming of yellowtail kingfish until their closure circa 2011 in response to high levels of fish mortality. [1] Understanding of the environmental impacts of yellowtail kingfish farming is limited. [2] As of 2021, fish farming has not returned to Fitzgerald Bay, but aquaculture zones remain in place, and Clean Seas is authorised to restock fish farms there. There are approximately forty shacks and coastal homes sparsely distributed along the fringe of Fitzgerald Bay whose interests are represented by the Cultana Jenkins Shackowners' Association.

Contents

History

Fitzgerald Bay is home to an outstanding geological feature; a section of stranded shingle beach ridges that date back to the late Pleistocene period. The feature received South Australian state heritage listing in the early 2010s after nomination by the Cultana Jenkins Shackowners Association. [3] The feature is marked by interpretive signs and is protected from disturbance by four-wheel drive vehicles. [4]

From the mid-19th century, the bay was known by the informal European name, Backy's Bay [5] [6] or Becky's Bay. According to Port Augusta residents, it was first named by Mr J. McCarthy (father of Alf McCarthy) who was Port Augusta's first pilot and harbormaster. "Becky" was a nickname derived from Rebecca, the first name of McCarthy senior's wife. [7] Pilot McCarthy died at 73 years of age in March 1899. He had lived and worked in the Port Augusta area for forty years. [8]

In the early 1910s, it was considered prospective for the development of a deep sea port for the shipment of iron ore minded by the Broken Hill Propriety at Iron Knob. [9] New railway infrastructure that citizens argued should be state owned [10] would have been required for a new port to have been constructed there. [11] The port did not proceed, with the location's main disadvantages being the lack of any nearby settlement and absence of water supply. [12] Iron ore shipment facilities were instead constructed by BHP at Whyalla, which was then known as Hummock Hill.

In 1937, Backy Bay was officially named Fitzgerald Bay after a former South Australian parliamentarian and member for Port Pirie, John Christopher Fitzgerald [13] who believed that a prosperous future for the upper Spencer Gulf could be built on the back of iron ore mining. [14]

Early industrial proposals (1930s-1950s)

Between 1937 and 1939 the site was considered for a prospective naval shipbuilding yard. [15] [16] [17] One of the site's disadvantages was a lack of power supply and Whyalla was chosen instead. In 1952, Fitzgerald Bay was chosen as a prospective site for the first nuclear power plant in the Southern hemisphere, and discussion of the prospect continued until 1954. [18] [19] The proposal was never formalised, though uranium-bearing ore was mined in South Australia at Radium Hill and refined at Port Pirie during the 1950s and early 1960s. Then Premier Thomas Playford described the bay as "very well protected and (it) has deep water close in shore. It would be close to transmission lines and it appeared to me to have every qualification necessary for the site of such a plant." [20]

Fish farming (1990s-2000s)

Fish farming in Fitzgerald Bay began in the late 1990s at pilot scale with yellowtail kingfish, Seriola lalandi. Carrying capacity of the aquaculture zone was estimated to be between 496 tonnes and 5096 tonnes for worst and best case scenarios respectively. The carrying capacities were designed to ensure compliance with national water quality guidelines, as set out by ANZECC in 1992. [21]

Production increased over the next decade, then de-stocking occurred between 2009 and 2011. The bay's aquaculture ventures has been totally abandoned by 2012. [22] In 2017, Clean Seas was aiming to restart their operations in Fitzgerald Bay and increase their production quota to 4200 tonnes from their prior quota of 2400 tonnes. [23] While operational, fish farming became the upper Spencer Gulf's largest nutrient pollution source, and the only direct nutrient pollution source in Fitzgerald Bay. Lesser nutrient pollution sources in the upper Spencer Gulf are (from largest to smallest): the Whyalla Steelworks, the region's wastewater treatment plants and the lead smelter at Port Pirie all of which discharge their pollution outside of Fitzgerald Bay.[ citation needed ]

Resumption of fish farming (2021)

In 2021, Clean Seas Seafood received all the necessary approvals to resume fish farming within Fitzgerald Bay. The return of the activity had raised concerns about nutrient pollution loading impacting the bay's ecology and the nearby giant Australian cuttlefish aggregation. Some of the City of Whyalla's elected members remained opposed to the project, [24] over 600 people signed a petition opposing the project, [25] and 85 local businesses signed an open letter opposing it. [26]

Giant Australian cuttlefish

The northern Spencer Gulf population of Australian giant cuttlefish (Sepia apama) forms dense breeding aggregations in the Upper Spencer Gulf. Aggregations occur within Fitzgerald Bay at the northern end (Backy Point) and the southern end (to the north and south of the Point Lowly North Marina).[ citation needed ] The largest breeding aggregations occur outside of Fitzgerald Bay to the southwest of Point Lowly.

Related Research Articles

Whyalla City in South Australia

Whyalla was founded as "Hummocks Hill", and was known by that name until 1916. It is the fourth most populous city in the Australian state of South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Gawler and along with Port Pirie and Port Augusta is one of the three towns to make up the Iron Triangle. As of June 2018, Whyalla had an urban population of 21,742, having declined at an average annual rate of -0.75% year-over-year over the preceding five years. It is a seaport located on the east coast of the Eyre Peninsula and is known as the "Steel City" due to its integrated steelworks and shipbuilding heritage. The port of Whyalla has been exporting iron ore since 1903.

Spencer Gulf Large inlet in South Australia

The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost and larger of two large inlets on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. It spans from the Cape Catastrophe and Eyre Peninsula in the west to Cape Spencer and Yorke Peninsula in the east.

Port Augusta City in South Australia

Port Augusta is a small city in South Australia. Formerly a seaport, it is now a road traffic and railway junction city mainly located on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf immediately south of the gulf's head and about 322 kilometres (200 mi) north of the state capital, Adelaide. The suburb of Port Augusta West is located on the west side of the gulf on the Eyre Peninsula. Other major industries included, up until the mid-2010s, electricity generation. At June 2018, the estimated urban population was 13,799, having declined at an average annual rate of -0.53% over the preceding five years.

GTS/BKN Regional TV stations in Australia

GTS/BKN are Australian regional television stations serving the Spencer Gulf of South Australia and the Broken Hill area of New South Wales. Based in Port Pirie with satellite offices in Broken Hill, Port Augusta, Whyalla and Port Lincoln, and studio and playout facilities based in Hobart, the station's name originates from the Port Pirie and Broken Hill stations' callsigns, GTS Port Pirie and BKN Broken Hill.

The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, by the Great Australian Bight on the west, and by the Gawler Ranges on the north.

Port Broughton, South Australia Town in South Australia

Port Broughton is a small South Australian town located at the northern extent of the Yorke Peninsula on the east coast of Spencer Gulf. It is situated about 170 km north-west of Adelaide, and 56 km south of Port Pirie. At the 2011 census, the town of Port Broughton had a population of 1,034.

Arno Bay is a small fishing and tourist town on the east coast of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, located on the Lincoln Highway about halfway between Whyalla and Port Lincoln. First proclaimed under the name Bligh in 1883, the current name dates back to 1940. It is a recreational town with a number of marine and nature based attractions, including fishing, surfing and swimming.

Yellowtail amberjack Species of fish

The yellowtail amberjack, yellowtail kingfish, hiramasa or great amberjack is a large fish found in the Southern Ocean. Although previously thought to be found in all oceans and seas, recent genetic analysis restricts S. lalandi proper to the Southern Hemisphere waters. However, they are found in Northern Hemisphere waters during certain times of the year. The fish was given its name by Monsieur de Lalande, a naturalist who first informed zoologist Achille Valenciennes of the existence of this species. His reason for the use of the word Seriola to name the fish is uncertain, but the second word lalandi was derived from his surname.

Giant cuttlefish Species of cephalopod known as the giant cuttlefish and Australian giant cuttlefish

Giant cuttlefish also known as the Australian giant cuttlefish, is the world's largest cuttlefish species, growing to 50 cm (20 in) in mantle length and over 10.5 kg (23 lb) in weight. Using cells known as chromatophores, the cuttlefish can put on spectacular displays, changing color in an instant. The giant cuttlefish is native to temperate and subtropical waters of Australia, from Brisbane in Queensland to Shark Bay in Western Australia and Tasmania to the south. It occurs on rocky reefs, seagrass beds, and sand and mud seafloor to a depth of 100 metres. In 2009 the species was listed at Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to an observed declining trend at that time.

Spencer Gulf Football League

The Spencer Gulf Football League is an Australian rules football competition based at the head of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia. It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League.

Port Bonython Suburb of City of Whyalla, South Australia

Port Bonython is the location of a deepwater port, gas fractionation plant and diesel storage facility west of Point Lowly in the Upper Spencer Gulf region of South Australia. It lies 16 km east-northeast of Whyalla, South Australia and approximately 370 km north-west of the State's capital city, Adelaide. The existing wharf is 2.4 kilometres long and is capable of berthing small Capesize ships with a maximum capacity of 110,000 tonnes. The wharf was established in 1982 and named after John Bonython, the founding chairman of Santos. The structure is leased to Santos by the Government of South Australia and is used for the export of hydrocarbon products. An oil spill at Port Bonython in 1992 resulted in loss of bird life and damage to mangrove habitats to the west and southwest of Port Pirie.

Whyalla Steelworks

The Whyalla Steelworks is a fully integrated steelworks and the only manufacturer of rail in Australia. Iron ore is mined in the Middleback Range to feed the steelworks, resulting in the distribution of finished steel products of over 90 different grades. It occupies a 1,000 ha site on the shore of False Bay, Spencer Gulf and is the largest employer in Whyalla, South Australia.

Point Lowly Suburb of City of Whyalla, South Australia

Point Lowly is the tip of a small peninsula north north-east of Whyalla in the Upper Spencer Gulf region of South Australia. The wider peninsula is shared by a combination of defence, industrial, residential, recreational and tourism interests. Port Bonython lies immediately to the north-west and is marked for future industrial expansion, driven by anticipated growth in the State's mining industry. The icons of the peninsula are the historic Point Lowly Lighthouse and the mass breeding aggregation of Australian giant cuttlefish which occurs inshore each winter.

Curlew Island is a low mangrove-dominated island located near the head of Spencer Gulf, South Australia. It lies between Port Augusta and Point Lowly and is adjacent to the Playford B Power Station. Several ships ran aground in the shallow waters surrounding the island during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Several recreational boating accidents have also occurred in the vicinity. The locality is known for its fishing and for occasional whale sightings in the winter.

Bronwyn Gillanders

Bronwyn May Gillanders is a marine scientist whose research spans freshwater, estuarine and marine waters while focusing on fish and fisheries ecology. Her studies of the Giant Australian cuttlefish of Northern Spencer Gulf in South Australia revealed the species' sensitivity to increases in salinity; a controversial aspect of the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the expansion of BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam mine. Gillanders' discovery was published in the scientific journal Marine Environmental Research and prompted environmental activists to call for the relocation of the project's proposed seawater desalination plant at Point Lowly, due to its proximity to the only mass breeding area for the animals' genetically distinct population. Gillanders commenced work at the University of Adelaide in 2001, received a tenurable position in 2007 and was appointed professor in 2010. She is the Director of the Marine Biology program at the university's Environment Institute.

Craig Foster is the CEO of Clean Seas, an ASX-listed Australian seafood company with interests in southern bluefin tuna and yellowtail kingfish farming. He was appointed to the position in 2012 after working in the salmon farming industry in Tasmania. There he managed research and development at the state's largest salmon hatchery and also worked as the Managing Director of fish feed producer, Gibsons Ltd. In 2001, he was working for Pivot, and assisting in the development of barramundi farms in the Northern Territory.

Clean Seas Seafood Ltd is an Australian seafood production company specialising in the sea-cage aquaculture of Yellowtail kingfish. It was established by The Stehr Group in 2000, and became the first Australian company fish farming in South Australia to be listed on the ASX in 2005. The company was established by "tuna baron" Hagen Stehr, whose son Marcus remains one of the company's directors. Clean Seas has shore and sea-based fish farming facilities at Arno Bay, aquaculture leases in Fitzgerald Bay and near Port Lincoln and a processing facility at Royal Park in Adelaide. Its tuna interests were originally held by the private company Australian Tuna Fisheries Pty Ltd. Clean Seas' ambition to control and commercialise the lifecycle of the Southern bluefin tuna has not been realised.

Fish farming inWestern Australia is an experimental part of the state's seafood sector. Prominent operators and lessees include Indian Ocean Fresh Australia and Huon Aquaculture, and the primary commercial species are yellowtail kingfish in the Mid West aquaculture zone and barramundi in the Kimberley aquaculture zone. Pink snapper is another species considered as a sea cage fish farming prospect. The Mid West aquaculture zone lies between Geraldton and the Abrolhos Islands, and the Kimberly aquaculture zone is in Cone Bay north of Derby. The sector is represented by Erica Starling as spokesperson for the Marine Fishfarmers Association.

Fish farming is a major economic contributor to South Australia's seafood sector. The most valuable species is the Southern bluefin tuna, which is caught in the wild then transferred into sea cages in southern Spencer Gulf where they are fed locally caught sardines. The second most valuable species is the Yellowtail kingfish, which is farmed near Port Lincoln and Arno Bay. A tourist venture called Oceanic Victor located in Encounter Bay allows paying customers the opportunity to swim in a sea cage with the Southern bluefin tuna and handfeed the fish. Prominent companies in the fish farming sector in South Australia include Clean Seas and Tony's Tuna International.

Spilsby Island is one of the largest islands in the Sir Joseph Banks Group in Spencer Gulf, South Australia. It is privately owned, has no permanent human residents and is grazed by sheep. The island was used for the breeding of sheep by James Hunter Kerrison, then for the breeding of horses, sheep, pigs and cattle by W. E. Scruby in the early 20th century. Shearers travelled to the island to shear the sheep. The island's soil has been enriched by the deposition of guano by seabirds. Land allotments and a few shacks are concentrated along the northern coast of the island. Butterfish Bay is on the northern coast and Hawknest Bay is on the eastern coast.

References

  1. ↑ "Authorities asked to probe fish farm deaths - ABC News". www.abc.net.au. 2011-09-21. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  2. ↑ Tanner, Jason E. (2015). "Environmental effects of yellowtail kingfish aquaculture in South Australia". Aquaculture Environment Interactions. 1 (2): 155–165. doi: 10.3354/aei00016 .
  3. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-05-03. Retrieved 2021-05-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ↑ Water (DEW), Department for Environment and (2018-03-09). "Community day celebrating geology of Shingle Ridges". www.landscape.sa.gov.au. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  5. ↑ "Backy's Bay To Be Known As Fitzgerald Bay". Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954). 1937-12-02. p. 27. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  6. ↑ "Fitzgerald Bay". Recorder (Port Pirie, SA : 1919 - 1954). 1937-12-18. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  7. ↑ "Origin Of Backy's Bay Name". Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954). 1952-07-21. p. 4. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  8. ↑ "DEATH OF PILOT McCARTHY". Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904). 1899-03-18. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  9. ↑ "BACKY BAY AND IRON KNOB". Port Augusta Dispatch, Newcastle and Flinders Chronicle (SA : 1885 - 1916). 1912-11-08. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  10. ↑ "BACKY BAY TO IRON". Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1923). 1913-05-08. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  11. ↑ "Backy Bay". Port Augusta Dispatch, Newcastle and Flinders Chronicle (SA : 1885 - 1916). 1912-11-08. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  12. ↑ "BACKY BAY OR PORT AUGUSTA". Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931). 1913-02-15. p. 33. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  13. ↑ "FITZGERALD BAY". Recorder (Port Pirie, SA : 1919 - 1954). 1937-12-14. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  14. ↑ "POINTS FROM LETTERS". Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954). 1937-10-26. p. 26. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  15. ↑ "..HOPES FOR NAVAL DOCK." Citizen (Port Adelaide, SA : 1938-1940). 1939-08-31. p. 1. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  16. ↑ "DOCK FOR BATTLESHIP". Recorder (Port Pirie, SA : 1919 - 1954). 1939-05-12. p. 1. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  17. ↑ "Mr. Thorby May Make Sea Trip To Inspect Spencer Gulf". News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954). 1939-01-04. p. 7. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  18. ↑ "The odd spot". News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954). 1952-07-16. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  19. ↑ "Gulf May Be Place". Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954). 1954-07-23. p. 16. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  20. ↑ "Premier Clarifies Atomic Pile Statement". Whyalla News (SA : 1940 - 1954). 1952-08-01. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  21. ↑ Tanner, Jason; de Jong, Serena (2004). Environmental Risk Assessment of Marine Finfish Aquaculture in South Australia (PDF). South Australia: SARDI Aquatic Sciences. pp. 50–55.
  22. ↑ https://www.epa.sa.gov.au/files/13333_marine_nsg2012.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  23. ↑ Yeo, Melissa (2017-11-14). "Clean Seas reels in $17.6 million to get more kingfish into kitchens". Stockhead. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  24. ↑ "Council approves marina access to fish farm after 'hand forced'". InDaily. 2021-06-01. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  25. ↑ "Whyalla council grants access to local marina for controversial kingfish farm". www.abc.net.au. 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  26. ↑ Mayfield, Louis (2021-07-09). "Businesses call for Clean Seas backdown". Whyalla News. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
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