South Australian seafood company Yumbah Aquaculture has revealed it has already lost about $5 million due to the ongoing algal bloom crisis, according to its submission to the Federal Senate inquiry into algal blooms in SA. The losses represent a significant setback against its $100 million annual revenue target.

CEO David Wood said Yumbah had been forced to stand down 45 casual staff and reduce hours for permanent employees after mussel operations were shut down for four weeks. Operations at Kangaroo Island and Port Lincoln were also severely disrupted by poor water quality and temperature.

While Yumbah has been hit hard, Wood noted that some oyster producers have fared worse, with closures lasting for months. Despite the scale of the impact, Yumbah has struggled to access government support, as most assistance has been geared toward small-scale fishers, tourism, and biodiversity, and the event has not been declared a natural disaster.

The company, which recently acquired Clean Seas for $30 million, argued that the crisis highlights the need for greater government co-investment in resilience and risk management for aquaculture.

The inquiry has received 114 submissions, with public hearings beginning September 9 in Adelaide and continuing across regional SA.

Read the complete article by James Lance here: https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/business/2025/09/08/major-sa-seafood-business-reveals-multimillion-dollar-algal-bloom-hit