Fisherman dies after being swept off rocks in Sydney

One of the trio, a 23-year-old foreign national not wearing a lifejacket, was unresponsive and couldn't be revived. Photo / 123RF

The death of a young fisherman swept off rocks on Sydney's northern beaches has reignited calls for anglers to wear life jackets.

Three men were pulled from waters off Blue Fish Point at Manly early on Sunday after being taken in rough swells.

One of the trio, a 23-year-old foreign national not wearing a lifejacket, was unresponsive and couldn't be revived.

The other two, who were, survived and were taken to hospital as a precaution.

Surf Lifesaving NSW Operations Manager Andy Kent said the man's death was avoidable and frustrating in light of a trial of mandatory life jackets.

"The tragedy of this situation is that rock fishing fatalities are preventable - the data is clear and it's consistent," Mr Kent said.

"Life jackets save lives and in the vast majority of successful rescues involving our lifesavers the fisher is wearing a life jacket."

The NSW government passed the Rock Fishing Safety Act in December, requiring those fishing from rocks in the Randwick Local Government Area to wear a life jacket over a 12-month period.

The move was met with some resistance from the rock fishing community, with the NSW Recreational Fishing Alliance arguing wet suits and appropriate footwear should be enough for experienced anglers.

"It is incredibly disappointing there are those within the fishing community who continue to be vocal in their opposition to mandatory life jackets," Mr Kent said.

A 2015 coronial inquest into nine rock fishing-related deaths found safety advice and education made no difference to the number of people who died.

Another fisherman had a lucky escape on Sunday morning after falling from rocks near Kurnell in Sydney's south.

The 20-year-old had not been wearing a life jacket but stayed afloat after another angler threw him an "angel" ring flotation device before he was rescued.

Swells of one metre are expected to continue off Sydney's coast for the next few days, with a strong wind warning for the area issued by the Bureau of Meteorology for Monday.