Parliament has approved amendments to the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) and the Wild Life Protection (WLP) acts to allow for significant increases in fines and related custodial sentences.

Environment Minister Matthew Samuda, who piloted the bill on Tuesday, noted that the amendments were necessary due to the increase in environmental crimes in Jamaica.

He noted that the NRCA act has not been amended since its promulgation in 1991, while the fines under the Wildlife Protection Act were last updated in 1998 to a maximum of $100,000 for offences and $40,000 for persons found in breach of the act.

Under the draft bills, depending on the severity of the offence, corporate bodies may now be subject to a fine of approximately $10 million.

Individuals in breach of the acts may face a fine of up to $5 million or serve a term of imprisonment of up to five years, subject to the jurisdiction of the parish courts.