KEY POINTS:
Rock fishers on Auckland's treacherous west coast are ignoring official pleas to don lifejackets.
Yesterday 30 fishers, some accompanied by children, lined the rock ledge that juts into the surf at Muriwai.
None wore a flotation device - even those retrieving tackle from slippery footholds where waves were
breaking.
"We have seen some crazy people in horrendous conditions," said Muriwai Surf Life Saving Club captain Ashley Matuschka.
"We warn them but their English is not too strong.
"Some will leave the rocks but others are keen to stay and risk their life for a fish.
"We can only advise them about the surf being dangerous.
"We can close the beach to swimmers [in risky conditions] but we have no power to drag fishers off the rocks, because it's public access."
Eleven fishers have been swept from west coast rocks and drowned in the past seven years.
Five were Asian immigrants - two each at Muriwai and Whatipu and one at Bethells Beach.
Auckland Regional Council parks chairwoman Sandra Coney said yesterday she was disappointed that lifejackets were not worn despite innovative efforts to drive this safety message home.
But she discounted any move to make them compulsory wear for fishers on the rocks, backed up with fines.
"That would invite people to become embedded in existing practices - we would rather appeal to their common sense."
Ms Coney said the many drownings among Asians prompted the council and safety authorities last year to try to reach the fishers directly.
In a pilot project paid for by the ARC and backed by WaterSafe Auckland and Surf Life Saving Northern region, four Asian safety advisers were employed to visit fishing spots on public holidays and give advice to fishers in Asian languages.
"They talked about safety on the rocks and tried to encourage fishers to wear flotation devices.
"We are continuing that this year with six safety advisers.
"Our emphasis is on getting people to wear a flotation device.
"We are trying to get the message through with our safety adviser visits, promotions at fishing tackle retailers and brochures in Asian languages on west coast beaches."
Ms Coney said a survey carried out by advisers had alarming results:
* 72 per cent of fishers never wore a lifejacket or other flotation device.
* Half of them went to the water's edge to retrieve a snagged line.
* More than one in three had worn gumboots or waders.
* One in three said they could swim for 25m or less.
* One in three were strangers to that fishing spot.
Ms Coney was disappointed to hear that Muriwai fishers ignored the pleas to wear lifejackets.
"It's a bit of macho thing.
"But I recall when people were reluctant to wear lifejackets in boats and now it's commonplace to carry them."
Ms Coney said she had persuaded her partner, former Human Rights Foundation executive director Peter Hosking, to start wearing a discreet blue self-inflating vest for his fishing at Piha.
"It needs a few people to start the change."
Mr Matuschka said a lifejacket would help fishers who were swept off rocks and caught in the grip of the strong offshore current.
He said none of the fishers had drowned at a time when lifeguards were on duty.
However, he said lifeguards doubted that fishers who continued to wear gumboots, heavy clothing and were weak swimmers could survive in the surf.
One of the few fishers at Muriwai yesterday who spoke English, Kerwin Lawrence, of Henderson, said he had fished on the rock about 20 times.
Asked if he would voluntarily wear a lifejacket, he said: "If the seas were rough I would but I'd probably not be here then. No one in their right mind would."
