00:02In Australia's seafood capital of Port Lincoln, tuna reigns supreme.
00:07Over the years, you hear tuna town being used a lot.
00:13People do come in here from interstate and ask about our tuna.
00:17Seafood lovers are being assured tuna is still on the menu
00:21after a mass kill of up to 5,000 tuna in a toe pin
00:24that passed through discoloured water south of Port Lincoln in March.
00:27The cause has been identified as a type of plankton found in an algal bloom,
00:32a different species to the one affecting much of Essay's coast.
00:36The species names are vicissitus, formerly known as Chattonella,
00:41and they can create issues for gill-breathing marine organisms, particularly fish.
00:49Since the fish deaths, the government researchers have identified isolated patches of algal blooms
00:54containing the plankton in the southern Spencer Gulf,
00:56but says tuna caught off Port Lincoln is not impacted.
00:59The Southern Bluefin Tuna Association says ongoing water sampling
01:03is needed to identify potential threats to marine life.
01:07I think we can start to learn and better understand where these algal blooms may or may not happen
01:12and initiate some stronger ongoing monitoring, which is happening.
01:17Maintaining a close eye on the ocean to make sure seafood stays on the menu.
01:21We haven't seen a drop off in sales at this stage, so hopefully we remain positive
01:29and we can keep getting that message out that South Australian seafood is very safe.
01:33Securing a tuna fishing future.
01:35Here we go.
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