Editorial: Crab-fishing education paramount

After the latest drowning at Uretiti Beach, more education is obviously required to show the danger in the area. Pictured are the searchers on the scene.

On Sunday, the first rescue vessel at the scene of a suspected drowning of an Auckland-based Asian man at Uretiti was a jet ski.

It was a jet ski purchased in response to drownings in Bream Bay earlier this year. Those drownings included the death of an Auckland-based Asian man at Uretiti on Christmas Day, 2014. That Christmas Day tragedy was two days after two men and two girls - all Auckland-based Asian folk - died in a car crash near Uretiti. They are believed to have been heading to Uretiti Beach. In 2011, an Auckland-based Asian man died on Christmas Day - yes, Christmas Day again - at Uretiti. That's seven deaths, all linked to Auckland's Asian community, all linked to Uretiti.

Or, more specifically, linked to fishing for the common paddle crab.

After the second Bream Bay drowning earlier this year, the Northern Advocate instigated a fundraiser for a jet-ski patrol. The Whangarei Lions jumped in and raised just about all of the money. Why a jet ski? Preventative patrols, as well as being reactive, cover a wide area. The paint is barely dry on the jet ski, I was surprised to hear it was already on the water. And gutted that it was called into action for a suspected drowning.

Senior Constable Martin Geddes is doing a power of preventative work.

One of the outcomes of his efforts will be warning signs, and volunteers handing out information pamphlets. Mr Geddes has also promoted a safety seminar about crab fishing in Auckland, aimed at Asian communities next month.

There will be a follow-up beach fun day and practical crab fishing demonstration. He and some workmates seems to be a lone voice in the wilderness.

I am surprised there has not been more noise from our community leaders. Seven people are dead. Perhaps, because they don't live here, and we are not part of their tragedy or grieving process, we simply don't care as much? A terrible thought, I know.

Hopefully we never have to report another drowning connected to Auckland's Asian community. For the sake of a common paddle crab, it just isn't worth it.