PRESS RELEASE - Febraury 2, 2004
MAN CHARGED, FINED FOR SHOOTING PROTECTED BIRDS
Enforcement officers from the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) scored
one more success Wednesday, January 28, 2004 when the Courts convicted and fined one man
for shooting protected birds and hunting without a Hunters Licence.
Eric Brown of an Eltham Park address in St. Catherine pleaded guilty to Hunting
without a Hunters' Licence and Unlawful Possession of Protected Birds. Mr. Brown
appeared before His Honour Bert Morrison in the Buff Bay Resident Magistrate's Court
on Jan 28 where he was fined $10,000 or three months in prison on each charge.
On Saturday August 23, 2003, Enforcement Officers from the National Environment and
Planning Agency (NEPA) and Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF), apprehended Brown
while he was shooting birds in the Baltimore Area of Portland. He was found in possession
of nine birds including one Stripe Headed Tanager, one Mountain Witch and two Partridges.
Five of the birds found in Brown’ possession were game birds while the others including the
Tanager, Mountain Witch and partridges were protected birds.
Most Jamaican birds are protected under the Wild Life Protection Act. The Act allows
specified birds to be shot during the annual Bird Shooting Season Domesticated birds are not protected.
Shooting birds without a permit is a breach of the Wild Life Protection Act and carries a maximum
penalty of $100,000 and or twelve months imprisonment. Under the Wild Life Protection Act (WLPA)
(Hunters' Licences Regulations 2003), all hunters must have a valid hunters' permit in order to
shoot birds during the Bird Hunting season.
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