The iconic Kiama Blowhole is one of two sites that Surf Life Saving NSW has begun trialling new Artificial Intelligence camera technology to help prevent rock fishing tragedies over the next 14-month period.

Funded by NSW and federal governments, the SAIL (Surveillance AI for Lifesaving) project aims to improve coastal safety by identifying lifesavers or rescuers when a rock fisher has been washed or enters the water unexpectedly.

Rock fisher Chengchao Zhao who is a design engineer and a resident of western Sydney, has experienced the dangers of rock fishing with a close call at the popular casting spot of the Kiama Blowhole.

“I felt the conditions were OK and the sea was not very strong but after 10 minutes, all my fishing gear was gone,” Chengchao said.

“That kind of wave is very scary!”

Along with the AI camera technology, the NSW Government is investing $23 million over four years, delivering jet skis and emergency response beacons up and down the coast.

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said this trial and funding will not only support the work of NSW lifesavers for quick responses but provide greater data for research improvements.

“Both Kiama and Little Bay have sadly seen too many heartbreaking incidents,” Dib said.

“By working with Surf Life Saving NSW, we’re taking practical steps aimed at making the NSW coastline safer – and already, we are seeing lives saved.”

Kiama MP Katelin McInerney is pleased to see this technology being trialled at the Kiama Blowhole.

“Our community has been impacted too many times over the years when people have been swept off rock platforms, and it’s encouraging to see innovative safety solutions being trialled to help save lives,” she said.

Both McInerney and Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steve Pearce had a strong message for rock fishing enthusiasts this summer. 

“I encourage everyone to stay alert to conditions and always wear a life jacket while enjoying our coastline," McInerney said.

"Rock fishing remains one of the highest risk activities and I urge rock fishers to wear a life jacket every time they fish and avoid situations where they put their lives at risk this summer," Pearce said.

There is a national average of 13 people who die per year because of rock fishing, with a total of 126 fatalities in NSW since 2004.

Chengchao welcomes the new technology and encourages all levels of government and departments to continue education programs for those engaging in rock fishing.

“Some people I know who rock fish don’t have enough awareness or education around the dangers, which is very frustrating – hopefully the government can help,” he said.

Chengchao explained that because of the unpredictability of rock fishing, he is ritualistic in his approach.  

“I always wear a life jacket when fishing, always go with my friend to keep an eye out for each other, and I also do comprehensive research before I go and fish,” he said.

“Checking the forecast which includes checking the tide and swell height and direction, wind (speed and direction), what is the appropriate gear for that rock fishing area – these are just some of the many variables I must consider.”

The NSW government recommends it is safest to wear a lifejacket whenever rock fishing or exposed to ocean swell, but it is only enforced in declared areas, which interestingly does not include the Kiama Blowhole.

Flagged earlier this year as a potential site for the trial, Surf Life Saving NSW South Coast branch president Shane Wicks told The Bugle that there had been at least four rescues off the Kiama Blowhole fishing area in the first six months of 2025.

Kiama Council provided permission for the trial to be undertaken on Council land with Mayor Cameron McDonald explaining that the monitoring systems are in two locations around Blowhole Point.

Council is also undertaking community consultation for opting into the NSW Rock Fishing Act 2016 which would include Kiama's coastal regions from Minnamurra Headland right down to Black Head Beach in Gerroa. 

At the recent Local Government NSW Annual Conference in Penrith, Council was successful in advocating for two important motions which included rock fishing safety reforms, in response to the tragic increase in fatalities along the NSW coast and was attended by Mayor Cameron McDonald, Deputy Mayor Melissa Matters, and Councillor Stuart Larkins.

"When councils unite, we can achieve meaningful outcomes. Seeing Kiama's motions adopted shows the power of collaboration," Deputy Mayor Matters said.

The other site undertaking the SAIL project trial is on the south-eastern coastal region of the Randwick LGA, where the trial has already recorded a successful rescue of a rock fisher who was swept off the rocks during a heavy swell at Malabar.

For more information about rock fishing lifejacket laws and declared areas head to: https://www.nsw.gov.au/environment-land-and-water/coasts-waterways-and-marine/rock-fishing-lifejacket-law

For more information on Surf Life Saving Australia's Coastal Safety Brief Rock Fishing head to: https://www.surflifesaving.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/05/Surf-Life-Saving-Australia-Rock-Fishing-Coastal-Safety-Brief-2020.pdf

For more information on Kiama Council's community consultation regarding rock fishing safety in the Kiama area head to: https://yoursay.kiama.nsw.gov.au/rock-fishing-safety

Below is a video example of the new AI camera in action