MONTEGO BAY, St James — A man who was caught engaging in bird hunting without the necessary licence is now $30,000 lighter in the wallet.

Jason Calvin pleaded guilty to breaches of the Wildlife Protection Act when he appeared before presiding judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton at the St James Parish Court.

Attorney-at-law Matthew Burton, who is representing the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), had a fiat to prosecute the case.

During the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, Judge Fairclough-Hylton asked the accused man if he had anything to say before she sentenced him, and he asked for leniency.

Calvin’s admission that he was aware of the $25,000 cost of the hunting licence perplexed the judge as to his willingness to contribute more to the Government’s coffers, especially considering the possibility of a $100,000 fine.

Fairclough-Hylton, however, fined him $30,000 or 30 days in jail.

According to court documents, the complainant and others were hunting birds in Spot Valley, St James, when they heard loud explosions similar to gunshots coming from the north-eastern direction of their location.

The complainant said he observed two men with guns and a rack of hanging birds, which included two white-crowned pigeons that had their feathers removed.

The complainant asked the men to produce their firearm and hunting licences, and it was discovered that Calvin did not have a licence.

As a result, he was arrested and charged.