Rock dangers ignored

19.05.2010

ABOUT 10 per cent of drowning deaths
in Australia occur from people fishing off
the rocks.
Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) coastal
safety services manager Matt Thompson,
of Cronulla, said many of the drowning
deaths off the south heads of Botany Bay
and the Royal National Park were the
direct result of dangerous rock fishing.
He said a recent survey showed that
75 per cent of rock fishers admitted to
never wearing a lifejacket.
"There is not a prevalent culture of
safety among rock fishers," Mr Thompson
said.
"Wearing a lifejacket is a key to reducing
deaths but it only addresses part of the problem."
He said there was a general lack of education and awareness
about the dangers among rock fishermen.
The latest rock safety campaign n - "Don't put you life on the
line" - aims to educate rock fishermen, especially those from
non-English-speaking backgrounds, about
how to best prepare themselves for
dangerous conditions.
The campaign includes the rollout of
multilingual, multimedia and web
resources, with community workshops
focused on the main message "always
wear a lifejacket and don't put yourself on
the line".
SLSA CEO Brett Williamson said despite
their best efforts, people still choose to put
their lives at risk.
"Tragically this year we've seen 16 people
lose their lives through rock fishingrelated
activities - that is three more than
last season," Mr Williamson said.
"Rock fishing fatalities represent approximately
10 per cent of coastal drowning
deaths each year, with people from mulitcultural backgrounds
well over-represented in those statistics, particularly
those from Asian backgrounds."