Judge lashes men for fishing without licences

Chief Parish Judge Chester Crooks slapped $10,000 fines on two men for illegally fishing in the Kingston Harbour in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court yesterday.

The senior jurist was not pleased with the number of cases being brought before the court for persons caught violating the fishing laws in the harbour.

“It is a constant problem for the authorities and it puts them [fishermen] in danger as well. The maximum fine is $3 million and they increased it because they weren’t taking it seriously. Apart from endangering themselves, they endanger others that use the harbour for certain things, and of course if something happens to them, they would be ready to sue the State,” Crooks argued. Yesterday, Michael Sinclair and Calvin Jackson pleaded guilty to failure to have a fishing permit while fishing. The men were arrested and charged by the Marine police after they were seen casting lines at Victoria Pier in downtown Kingston. The court was not informed of the date that the offence was committed.

Sinclair explained to the court that he previously owned a fisher’s licence but it had expired and he had not yet made attempts to renew it.

Crooks ordered the men to pay the fines or face imprisonment for 30 days. He also urged the men to make arrangements to secure their licences from the licensing authority or they would find themselves before the courts continuously for breaching the Fisheries Act.