An Emirati man who was convicted of hunting five Houbara bustards from a protected area of Abu Dhabi is fighting his one-year-jail sentence.Official court records showed that the man was caught while hunting Houbara birds from the nature reserve without permission.

Prosecutors said the Emirati had encroached on the protected area in the desert after cutting the fence and started the illegal hunting. There were five Houbara bustards in the vicinity.And after seeing workers guarding the protected area, the man, who was had come with a vehicle fled the scene.

Authorities however chased the Emirati's vehicle and arrested him. He was also found with materials used in hunting in his car. The men working in the protected area told authorities that this was the second time they had seen the man hunting in the area. The men said the Emirati earlier tried to catch two Houbara birds.

The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance had earlier given the Emirati one year in jail and fined him Dh35,000 after he was found guilty of hunting Houbara bustards in the protected area.
The man challenged the sentence to the Abu Dhabi Appeal Court.During his hearing at the appeal court, the Emirati admitted to hunting in the protected area and trying to catch the Houbara birds only once. He said he was arrested after the workers spotted him.He asked court to be lenient on him stressing that it was his first to encroach on the protected areas.The man denied claims by the workers that he was earlier spotted in the area hunting and trying to catch the Houbara birds.

The trial was adjourned until June 25 to hear from witnesses, the workers, from the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi who spotted the man.

SORCE : KHALEEJ TIMES