A man with a history of hunting offences has had a €2,500 fine and one-year revocation of his hunter's licence confirmed by a court of appeal.

Wayne Pisani, 29, had been found guilty of hunting at sea within 3km from shore in the vicinity of the Grand Harbour back in November 2013.

The magistrate's court had convicted him of numerous hunting-related offences, imposing a €2,500 fine and ordering the confiscation of all the exhibits, including the accused's dinghy. The man's hunting licence was to be revoked for a year.

Deeming this punishment excessive, Mr Pisani filed an appeal requesting the court to mete out a more "equitable and just" sentence, arguing that in similar cases the courts normally imposed a fine but did not also order the confiscation of the objects related to the offence. In his case, the court had applied both penalties.

Moreover, the appellant argued that the €2,500 tended towards the maximum. The first court could have been more lenient and afforded him another chance, the man insisted.

However, the court of appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Giovanni Grixti, observed that it was not normal practice for the court to vary the discretion of the first court, especially when the punishment handed out fell within the legal parameters.

The court further noted that Mr Pisani had a history of hunting offences, as attested by his criminal record sheet. This clearly indicated that the man had no respect for hunting regulations and did show any intention of changing his ways.

The court therefore rejected the appeal, ordering that the one-year disqualification of the appellant's licence begin from the date of the appeal judgment.