For Immediate release October 2, 2003

Hunter fined $50,000 for Breaching Wild Life Act

Andrew Dunbar of Lime Hall District St. Ann was on Wednesday October 1, 2003 fined $50,000 or six months imprisonment for shooting game birds in excess of the bag limit, contrary to the Wild Life Protection Act (Game Bird Hunting Limit).

Dunbar appeared in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate Court in St James before Resident Magistrate Valerie Stephens and pleaded guilty to the charge. This is the first prosecution of the 2003 Bird Shooting Season, which ended September 21.

On Saturday September 20, 2003, a monitoring team from the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) accompanied by officers from the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) apprehended, and warned Dunbar for prosecution. He was apprehended for taking 26 Bald Pates (Columba leucocephala) and 3 White Winged Doves (Zenaida asiatica), during the morning shoot. Under the Wild Life Regulations, hunters must observe a bag limit of no more than 15 Bald Pates and a total of 20 birds in any one session.

NEPA is reminding the public that the Season is now closed, therefore bird shooting is no longer allowed. Persons may report any incident of Bird Shooting outside of the season to the nearest police station, or to NEPA at 10 Caledonia Avenue Kingston 10, telephone 754-7543, or e-mail: compliance@nepa.gov.jm.

On Wednesday also, a Bench Warrant was issued for the arrest of Anthony Campbell of a Westminister Crescent address in Kingston after he failed to appear in Half Way Tree
Resident Magistrate (RM) Court to answer charges of breaching the Wild Life Protection Act by offering parrots for sale. He failed to show up in Court on Wednesday.

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) would like to remind persons that it is illegal to have in their possession or offer for sale any parrot or parakeet. The Maximum fine for breaching the Wild Life Protection Act is $100,000 and or 12 months in prison.