Fish bites: NSW steps closer to wetsuits for rock fishers

The Rock Fishing Safety Amendment Bill, introduced last year as a private member’s motion by Shooting, Farming and Fishing Party MP Mark Banasiak, this week passed through the NSW Government’s Upper House.

According to Banasiak, choosing to wear a wetsuit would allow anglers swept off rocks to dive under waves and avoid being swept up and held against exposed outcrops, as could happen if they were wearing a lifejacket.

If approved, the changes will amend the current Rock Fishing Safety Act introduced in 2016 that also spells out the areas of NSW coastline where wearing a lifejacket is mandatory.

Under the legislation, rock fishers aged over 12 years need only wear a Level 50 personal flotation device similar to what a kayak owner or skier being towed behind a boat must wear.

Rock fishers aged under 12 must wear a Level 100 PFD, which is the equivalent of what boaters must use.

The Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW says “more acceptable and seasonal” forms of rock fishing apparel should be included in the act to allow rock fishers to choose between wetsuits, fishing vests, and other personal floatation devices, clothing and location devices such as personal locator beacons.

The amendment came before the NSW Parliament in the same week as warnings were issued for dangerous surf conditions along the NSW coastline.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries has issued a reminder to the state’s game fishers to return completed tag cards back to their club or directly to the tagging program as the season wraps up for another year.

However, alongside this year’s cards, NSW DPI has also called on anglers to hunt around and find tag cards from other seasons that are yet to be returned and may be lying forgotten somewhere, even if they are several years old, as they may match existing records.

“The data and information on every individual tag card play an important role in understanding the movement and distribution of game fish and pelagic species,” the department said.

All tag cards received from now until the end of June will go into the draw to win a game fish tagging program T-shirt. 

The NSW-based tagging program was started in 1973 and has recently hit 500,000 fish, making it the largest tagging program in the world.

Rockstar Tackle has opened on the Sunshine Coast catering to anglers chasing everything from whiting to marlin and shark.

Owned and operated by Sunshine Coast locals David Granville and Andrew Orr, Rockstar is the exclusive distributor for Ripple Ash Lures and stocks well-known brands including Pakula Lures, Shads Lures, Seven and Six Fishing, Hell Yeah Chatterbaits, Barambah Lures and more.

The Rockstar shop is located at Unit 3, 23 Premier Circuit, Warana, or alternatively customers can shop online at www.rockstartackle.com.au.

The store is having a grand opening car park sale on Saturday, July 11 from 8am to 2pm.

The Victorian Government has reached out to the state’s boaters to help it work out where it should best direct resources based on what those who take to the water will want.

The results of the Victorian Boating Behaviour Study survey will blend with data collected during the preparation of the Victorian Recreational Boating Strategy that will help the state decide where around $33 million a year collected through boat licencing and registration fees will be spent.

According to the Victorian government, the new survey will help it learn about the “how, when, where, why and who of your boating”.

“Covering travel, safety, boating locations, tourism opportunities and more, the survey won’t take long but will be vital to helping us make your time on the water better,” it said.

The survey is available online.