Once again a rock fisherman gets swept off rocks and drowns in the sea - and once again there is a proposal to ban fishing from locations deemed dangerous.
That seems to go hand in hand with Wollongong council's signs declaring it illegal to swim at unpatrolled beaches - and suggesting fines for those caught doing so.
Following this trend would soon result in people being barred from taking a walk in our national parks. After all, hikers often become lost and cause expensive rescue searches - and in some cases they die.
We have a huge plethora of existing laws intended to save us from ourselves. We are already prevented from owning a gun unless we are prepared to jump through hoops to prove that we are legitimate hunters.
We absolutely must wear a seat belt when we travel in a car - with draconian penalties unless we comply.
Whatever happened to the right to make our own decisions and accept the acceptable ?
That probably went south a long time ago when the government decided that it owned all the fish in the sea - and declared that it was illegal to fish in salt water without first paying for a fishing license.
That same l0gic now extends to telling the angler where and when he or she can dip a line !
For our own good - of course !
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