A Senate inquiry has delivered a scathing assessment of the state and federal governments' handling of the South Australian algal bloom crisis, describing them as "ill-prepared... and asleep at the wheel".

The 200-page-plus report, released today, details what it claims was a delayed response to the crisis, complicated by bureaucratic obstacles.

"When this toxic algal bloom was devastating our coastline in the early days, we had the federal government arguing if it was in state or federal waters," federal Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The report makes 14 recommendations, including the establishment of a support program akin to JobKeeper for affected businesses and workers, a voluntary buy-back scheme for fishing licences, and a substantial financial commitment to support the r

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