Southern calamari squid have reappeared in areas of South Australia where they vanished, offering optimism for quick recovery despite ongoing challenges in the Gulf of St Vincent from a harmful algal bloom.

Recent Sightings Fuel Recovery Optimism

A large squid surfaced off Kangaroo Island, while smaller ones appeared at Port Elliot, signaling potential rebound after last year’s severe losses. These sightings follow the 2025 algal bloom that wiped out marine life across the Gulf of St Vincent, Fleurieu Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, South-East, and Yorke Peninsula.

Research and Discovery Coastal Tours on Kangaroo Island shared a social media post on Easter Sunday about spotting their first large squid in nearly a year. “Nature is resilient,” the post stated.

Local fisher Andy Alford from Port Elliot reports squid returning to Encounter Bay in small sizes over the past four weeks. “It’s actually taken them a long time to come back here from other areas and I’d suggest it’s because most of our area was completely decimated,” he said. Alford calls for a 12-month fishing ban on squid to aid full recovery. “I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt anybody to go another year to get a few, just to help the ecosystem out,” he added.

Fishers Push for Extended Restrictions

Fishers urge authorities to extend bag limit restrictions for recreational fishing in the Gulf of St Vincent and Kangaroo Island beyond the July deadline. Calamari fishers warn that lifting limits in mid-2026 threatens the industry’s survival.

RecFish SA executive director Asher Dezsery notes feedback from their 300,000-member network and tackle shops favors giving squid more time. Reports indicate small numbers in Spencer Gulf. “They’re certainly in strife in the Gulf of St Vincent, so we want to do what we can to look after them,” Dezsery said. “We are seeing limited eggs being reported through the last breeding season, and some fish turning up, but we really need to start the conversation of how we can help these recover and what recovery looks like moving forward.”

Expert View on Squid Resilience

SA Research and Development Institute (SARDI) executive director Mike Steer calls southern calamari the “rock stars of the ocean” for their fast life cycle. “[This] means they can reproduce really quickly over short timeframes and respond quickly,” Steer explained. Their lifespan spans 12 to 18 months with exponential growth.

“They’re really fast growers and then, towards the end of their life cycle, they prolifically reproduce, so the squid you buy in the seafood shops are anywhere from six to 12 months old,” he added. Calamari spawn year-round in clear waters, eliminating seasonal waits.

SARDI monitors populations through commercial sampling, bycatch, targeted surveys, and diver egg checks. Numbers remain low in the Gulf of St Vincent. A residual bloom lingers near Yorke Peninsula’s western side, including Moonta Bay, Port Hughes, and Port Victoria.

Commercial catch data shows declines since September 2025 in Spencer Gulf. SARDI aligns findings with PIRSA’s Algal Bloom Fish Recovery plan decision rules to guide management. “We’ll provide that information to decision-makers and they’ll make a decision on the basis of those numbers,” Steer said.

Blue swimmer crabs also show promising recovery signs based on anecdotal reports.