Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Authorities Crack Down on Illegal Activities in Amazon

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 9 2011 (IPS) - An operation carried out by the Brazilian national environmental authority, IBAMA, in the Amazon region has led to the seizure of 19,000 hectares of illegally deforested land and the confiscation of 5,400 head of cattle and close to 51 million dollars. “Operação Disparada” (Operation Stampede), launched in late March and with no specified end date, has also resulted in the closure of four illegal sawmills where equipment and illegally logged timber were seized.

“The capture of livestock is essential to control deforestation,” Bruno Barbosa, the general coordinator of enforcement at IBAMA, told Tierramérica.

“Many livestock owners had already been notified last year and did not adopt any kind of measures. There is no room for this type of illegal activity, and inspections will continue,” he stressed.

The confiscated cattle will be donated to the government’s Zero Hunger Program.