Rock fisherman could soon be forced to wear life jackets A rock fisherman at Turimetta Beach / Pic: David Tribe Source: Supplied THEY are putting their lives into the hands of Mother Nature every time they step out and fish - toying with death as the waves crash fiercely around them. But venturing out without a life jacket could soon be illegal for rock fisherman who refuse to heed warnings, with authorities examining the condition to reduce the "shocking" number of drownings across the state. More than 350 people have drowned in NSW since 2004 - 38 of them along the coastline of northern Sydney. According to the Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report 2012, 11 per cent of the 105 people who drowned in NSW in 2011-12 were rock fishing. Australian Coastsafe risk assessment manager Adam Weir said the vast majority of victims were caught in rip currents while swimming, or swept from rocks while fishing and almost all occur at unpatrolled locations or outside patrol hours. "Each year, many lives are lost along our coastline, leaving families devastated and communities in shock," he said. Our goal is to reduce drowning deaths by 50 per cent within the next decade. He is just one of several officers working on behalf of Surf Life Saving NSW to assess every beach and rock platform across the state, starting in Pittwater Council area next week. Mr Weir said while the scope of the project is daunting, the information is vital to providing water safety agencies with an effective strategy to reduce the coastal drowning toll. Areas also targeted for the first year of Project Blueprint include Tweed, Byron and Ballina areas, Coffs Harbour, Lake Munmorah, Wyong, Randwick, Wollongong, Gosford and Waverley. Over four years the project will aim to cover 1,590km of coastline, which includes 600km of rocky coastline and 990km of sandy coastline. An estimated total of 892 locations will be assessed as part of the project. Westpac Rescue Helicopter Chief Executive Officer Stephen Leahy said his team had been called out to eight emergencies involving rock fisherman. "Normally every rock fishing death is preventable if the person is wearing the right equipment and wearing a life jacket," he said. It's a great past time for people but there are risks associated with it and people need to be aware of those risks and what to do if things go wrong. Something as simple as swimming out to sea instead of trying to climb back onto the rocks could save your life. Emergency Services Minister Michael Gallacher said the government was inviting submissions from members of the public on the wearing of life jackets for rock fishers. "Every drowning and rescue operation that occurs also puts emergency service workers at risk, so the government's focus is about finding better solutions to stop tragedies from occurring," he said. Any and all options to keep rock fishers safe will be considered ... water safety is a priority. He said $4 million has been rolled out for "black spot" funding, and another $4 million has been earmarked for the next two years. Pittwater MP Rob Stokes said the project is vital for improving beach safety across the region. "Our volunteer surf lifesavers do an incredible job on behalf of our community and this project will equip our local surf clubs with the information they need to maintain their strong record of keeping our beaches safe," said Mr Stokes.