A plan to use a ‘swim with the tuna’ attraction to boost tourism numbers at pristine Kangaroo Island has run into troubled waters.
Brother and sister business team, Emma and Robert Forster, want to relocate their tuna pen and pontoon from its current home at Port Lincoln to Kangaroo Island. They have applied to the PIRSA (Primary Industries Resources of South Australia) for permission to do so, claiming the $2 million attraction would give the natural wonderland a massive economic boost.
However, the Adelaide Advertiser reports that there are fears the move would endanger the island’s natural image, interfere with penguins, dolphins and sea lions and potentially bring sharks to the region. Island Beach Ratepayers Association’s Peter de Cure said the group did not believe the plan was an environmentally sustainable development suitable for the island.
“It’s a Gold Coast style tourist attraction that is inconsistent with the clean, green tourist promotion the SA Government is pursuing,” he told the Adelaide Advertiser. “It’s in the middle of a marine park, close to two conservation parks and the exposed location makes it vulnerable to breaking up in storms.”
However, the Forsters insist that the 30m x 12m tuna pen – which they hope to locate at Nepean Bay near American River – that any environmental concerns are unwarranted.
“Kangaroo Island is known as a wildlife sanctuary and our operation gives people the opportunity to see marine creatures that they wouldn’t generally see,” Emma Forster said. “It’s not just a tourism operation, there is a huge educational component.”
Public submissions on the proposal will close on September 30. A PIRSA spokeswoman said that the Environment Protection Authority also would need to approve the application. Email us here to comment on this story
