Rock-based Fisher Safety Promotion: A Decade On

Authors

Kevin Moran Ph.D., The University of AucklandFollow

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25035/ijare.10.02.01

Disciplines

Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Health and Physical Education | International Public Health | Leisure Studies | Sports Sciences | Sports Studies

Abstract

In the 10 years from 2006 - 2015, seven percent of all drowning fatalities in New Zealand were the consequence of land-based fishing activity (Water Safety New Zealand, 2015). In 2006, a collaborative campaign was launched in the Auckland, New Zealand entitled the West Coast Fisher Safety Project. This paper reports on the findings of annual surveys from 2006-2015 to determine what impact, if any, the safety promotion has had. The most emphatic change in fisher behavior in the intervening decade has been the more frequent self-reported use of lifejackets (2006, 4%; 2015, 40%), and a gradual shift in fisher awareness of the risks associated with rock-based fishing and their vulnerability to that risk. Some risky behaviors (such as retrieving snagged lines, wearing gumboots/waders) persisted and require further attention. The implications of having 10 years of data to underpin our understanding of fisher safety and help shape its future direction are discussed.

Recommended Citation

Moran, Kevin Ph.D. (2017) "Rock-based Fisher Safety Promotion: A Decade On," International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education: Vol. 10: No. 2, Article 1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25035/ijare.10.02.01
Available at: https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/ijare/vol10/iss2/1