South Australian seafood lovers can now safely consume pipis collected from Goolwa Beach, with monitoring showing the vast majority of South Australian waters remains free of Karenia algae.
Recreational fishers can now collect pipis for human consumption between Middle Point and the Murray Mouth following SA Shellfish Quality Assurance Program (SASQAP) testing, which has confirmed the seafood staple is safe to eat.
Between the start of the 2025/26 recreational pipi season and 3 April, pipis could only be collected at Goolwa Beach for use as bait.
The easing of those restrictions comes after commercial pipis fishing zones along the nearby Coorong coast reopened in recent weeks, with SASQAP testing confirming brevetoxin levels had reduced to safe levels.
All commercially available pipis are safe to eat.
Pipis on Goolwa Beach will continue to be regularly sampled by SASQAP to ensure they remain safe for human consumption.
Recreational bag limits remain in place to ensure healthy stock levels of pipis. On Goolwa Beach people are limited to 330 pipis per person per day, while in Gulf St Vincent the bag limit is 165 pipis per person per day.
South Australian Research and Development Institute Executive Director Professor Mike Steer said it was positive news for recreational fishers.
"We will continue to test pipis on Goolwa Beach to be sure they remain safe for the public to consume," Prof. Steer said.
"All commercially available shellfish, including pipis, from South Australian waters are safe to eat as it undergoes strict testing to uphold food safety standards."
RecFish SA CEO Asher Deszery said pipis "represent an important part of the South Australia fishing lifestyle for use as bait and for consumption".
"The announcement of pipis being safe gives huge confidence that we can focus on easing our way back into traditional fishing methods with seafood and shellfish that are safe to eat due to the testing conducted," Mr Deszery said.
"Most importantly, RecFish SA is pleased to hear the impact of recent algae events on pipis has diminished."
The recreational fishing season for Goolwa pipis ends on 31 May.
