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Water safety advisers are being recruited to warn Pacific Island fishermen - in their native languages - of the dangers of not wearing a life jacket.
The Auckland Regional Council, in association with Surf Life Saving Northern Region and WaterSafe Auckland, are employing up to seven Pacific advisers to go to rock fishing spots known to be high-risk drowning zones.
They will be posted at west coast beaches including Karekare, Piha, Anawhata and Muriwai's Flat Rock - known for its treacherous high waves and slippery conditions.
They will offer rock fishermen - Pacific Islanders in particular -
safety advice. They will also offer discount coupons on life jackets.
WaterSafe Auckland's drowning prevention manager, Teresa Stanley, said the Pacific advisers were the result of a three-year pilot project that looked at improving water safety awareness among rock fishermen.
Ms Stanley said introducing Asian advisers three years ago had resulted in a lower number of drownings and near-drowning among Asians.
"The advantage of having a Pacific person there is that it's somebody that they'll relate to," Ms Stanley said.
"A Samoan can talk to a Samoan and a Tongan can relate to a Tongan ... handing out pamphlets in their own language and connecting with people."
In the past five years, 39 per cent of drownings have been people of Pacific descent, statistics show. Most of those were from recreational activities.
Ms Stanley said there had been a number of drownings in the past year involving Pacific Island people who were on the rocks fishing without a life jacket.
"If you're wearing a life jacket, chances are it'll be a search and rescue rather than a search for a body."
