Families all over NZ are busy collecting seafood to fill their tables and feed their families over the festive season. This year, the Maritime Police have a few words of encouragement and safety reminders for the divers out there.
2017 is on the horizon, this is a time where families from all over the country go out to collect seafood.
Stuart James Main Senior Launch master – Wellington Police says, “Prior to Xmas there’s obviously quite a bit of activity on the water with people either shore diving or diving from boats and there’s obviously quite a bit of pressure for people to get out because there’s only one 25th of December.
Stuart James Main says that's because there are so many people spreading the water safety message, people's attitudes are changing.
Stuart says, “I think people are generally getting better. If we want the seafood there for our next generations then we’ve all got to follow some general rules and it will be there for the next generation but if we all; just take under sized and way to many then we all suffer the consequences of that.”
According to the Maritime Police Unit, they want to continue keeping people informed about the safety aspect of diving too so that people don't forget during this time of year.
Stuart says, “When you follow all the safety rules you normally have a good day and that’s what the police want to support is people having a good day so yeah that’s probably the message that I want to give.”
So on that note, be careful out there while collecting seafood for your table this new year.