A commercial diver is concerned numbers of the Giant Australian Cuttlefish could plummet to record lows again now a ban on catching them in South Australia's Upper Spencer Gulf has been lifted.
The South Australian government banned catching the unique cephalopod in 2013, when only 13,000 of the species gathered at Point Lowly near Whyalla to breed — down from more than 200,000 a few years prior.
The region covered by the ban stretched north from Wallaroo to Arno Bay.
Primary Industries Minister, Tim Whetstone, said the government is now confident the numbers have recovered.
"We have a longer history of population data now for the Giant Australian Cuttlefish which should give everyone confidence the iconic species is not at risk," Mr Whetstone said.
He said strict fisheries management and compliance would continue.
"All fishing stakeholders have recommended we continue the permanent cephalopod [squid, cuttlefish, octopus] fishing closure within the False Bay/Point Lowly area as it protects the only known dense aggregation involving Giant Cuttlefish in the world," Mr Whetstone said.
Commercial dive operator and dive shop owner, Tony Bramley, has been observing the annual breeding aggregation of cuttlefish near Whyalla since the 1980s.
He said he cannot believe the Government has lifted the ban.
"I just think we should absolutely be erring on the side of absolute caution," Mr Bramley said.
"They're so vulnerable in that location and it's a unique population — we can't get Cuttlefish from somewhere else if we lose this population.
"I find it incredibly short-sighted and risky."
Marine scientist not convinced fishing is a serious threat
Adelaide University Marine Biologist Professor, Bronwyn Gillanders, has been studying the cuttlefish population in the Spencer Gulf for more than a decade.
Although the reasons for the 2013 decline are not fully known, she said she does not think fishing was to blame.
"I would have preferred [the ban] wasn't lifted because it would give them greater protection," Dr Gillanders said.
"I don't actually think it will have a massive impact on the population.
"The key here is to make sure the populations are being monitored to make sure there isn't actually a change, or a massive change, through time associated with opening up that closure."
