Central Coast rock fishers will now have access to more safety measures, with Surf Life Saving NSW and the NSW Government partnering to reduce fatalities and injuries on the coastline.
The NSW Recreational Fishing Fund will invest $205,000 into a new Rock Fishing Safety and Skills program, which Surf Life Saving NSW will deliver.
Minister for Agriculture, Dugald Saunders, said the funding would deploy 1,000 life jackets to at-risk coastal communities.
“Life jackets are a no-brainer; they save lives,” Saunders said.
“Hundreds of volunteers work tirelessly every day to look after our swimmers, surfers and fishers, and now we are giving them a helping hand by ramping up safety measures for rock fishing.”
Director of Surf Life Saving Central Coast, Simon Cusack, said it was great to see the NSW Government supporting surf life saving efforts to reduce rock fishing tragedies.
“We as volunteers see the tragic outcome of what happens when you don’t wear a life jacket,” Cusack said.
“Wearing a quality life jacket can, for the majority of the time, save your life and gives us a greater chance of rescuing you if you get washed in by a wave.
“The last tragedy we had was at Snapper Point where others warned a fisherman not to go down onto the ledge where he was standing … a wave washed him off the rocks, and he tragically lost his life.”
According to the NSW Government, rock fishing is one of the most dangerous sports in Australia, with an average of eight people dying each year in NSW from rock fishing-related accidents.
Cusack said rock fishing could be hazardous due to ocean waves being rough, rogue and unpredictable.
“The waves you don’t see are the ones that get you, and a lot of the time, it’s in the remote locations, which means our response time is longer,” he said.
“I’m not saying don’t go rock fishing … but please do it safely, look at the weather forecast, never fish alone, tell someone where you are going and always wear a life jacket.
Cusack said the areas where rock fishers were predominantly in danger were Snapper Point and Frazer Park Beach, located near Catherine Hill Bay and around the rocky shore at Avoca Beach and Winne Bay.
“It is mandated in the Central Coast Council area that you must wear a life jacket when fishing,” Cusack said.
“There is signage that says it, but unfortunately, the fine is too small, and it’s not regulated enough.”
Under the NSW Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016, when in a declared area, it is required by law to wear an appropriate life jacket; this also includes children and anyone helping to fish.
Rock fishing in a declared area without an appropriate lifejacket may result in a $100 on-the-spot fine.
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery, Steph Cooke, said the NSW Government’s partnership with Surf Life Saving NSW was more important than ever before.
“We have seen far too many tragic deaths and near misses involving rock fishers this year which is why we are rolling out the largest ever rock fishing safety campaign in our state’s history,” Cooke said.
The funding for this project is part of the NSW Government’s recent $6 million boost to the Recreational Fishing Grants program, which facilitates the development of new amenities, species protection programs and research and education across NSW.
Hayley McMahon