Andrew Damaschke said plastic bags are being used by boat owners who dock their vessels in North Haven. However he said the deterrent doesn’t work and the bags ultimately end up in the water. 

“You can see that everyday they are tearing and disappearing,” he said. 

“The local wildlife including fish and turtles are consuming them, as we’re all aware of.” 

Mr Damaschke said he doesn’t know why people would use the environmental hazard to stop birds from landing on their boats. 

“They are fishing and they are getting their livelihood from the river and the ocean,” he said. 

“However they are dumping plastic in it which is having a negative impact on the environment and on their hobby or business.” 

He would like there to be greater education on the environmental impact of plastic bags. 

Mr Damaschke said it would be great if the community as well as authorities and groups banded together to stop people from doing damage to the environment. 

“We’ve got advertising campaigns such as ‘dob in a tosser’,” he said. 

“How about we start acting on that?”