PORT Stephens Council last week resolved to ‘opt in’ to the recently introduced Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016 (the Act), to promote greater safety for rock fishing across the Port.

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As part of a Mayoral Minute, Mayor Ryan Palmer said the Act supports rock fishing continuing in the safest manner possible.

“We’re lucky here in Port Stephens to have a great deal of our area surrounded by water, and rock fishing is an activity that many of our locals and visitors regularly enjoy,” he said.

“It is an activity which also comes with some inherent risks, and we’re committed to putting safety first.”

Mayor Palmer said, “By opting into the Act, we’ll be enforcing that all rock fishers and anyone assisting them – including children in their care – will be required to wear a life jacket.”

“The basic fact is that life jackets save lives.”

“We recognise this is a change for our community, and we’ll be launching an education campaign in the coming months to explain more about the Act and what the new requirements are. Working together with external agencies we’re aiming to have this out to the community later this year,” Mayor Palmer said.

Council’s General Manager will now write to NSW Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries) to formally commit Port Stephens Council to the Act.