KINGSTON, Jamaica – The 2016 Game Bird Shooting Season will open on Saturday, August 20 and close on Sunday, September 25.

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) said in a news release today that the opening of the Game Bird Shooting Season Prime was approved by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in keeping with the recommendations of the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA).

All prospective hunters are being advised to obtain a hunter’s licence for $15,000 from NEPA or one of the 14 authorised vendors.

Also NEPA is advising that all persons wishing to purchase a hunter’s licence must have a Tax Registration Number (TRN).

“Any hunter who has not returned last year’s Hunter’s Bird Shooting Report Form will be required to do so and pay a late processing fee of $ 5,000 at NEPA before the granting of a hunter’s licence,” NEPA said.

The Game Bird Shooting Season is regulated under the Wild Life Protection Act of 1945. Anyone caught in breach of the Act, that is, hunting without a hunter’s licence; hunting in game reserves; hunting outside of designated shooting periods; or hunting birds which are not designated game birds as well as exceeding the bag limit can be fined up to $100,000 or imprisoned for one year.

NEPA said it will also roll out new technologies in the weekly monitoring of the shooting season to ensure continued compliance by hunters.