IBAMA issued 3,800 fines over deforestation in the Amazon in 2022

Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) has issued 3,800 notices of violation regarding deforestation in the Amazon between January and April this year.

This information were reported by Samuel Vieira de Souza, Environmental Protection director at IBAMA, on radio broadcast A Voz do Brasil Monday (May 23). According to him, those notices generates over BRL 280 million.

During the last year, the entity carried out more than 11,500 actions of inspection last year, 50% more than 2020. Of these, 3,800 concerned deforestation in the Amazon biome. A total of 9,162 fines were issued, with fines adding up to BRL 163 billion.

Currently, IBAMA focuses primarily in the states of Pará, southern Amazonas, Rondônia, and northern Mato Grosso. “This is the area making up the arc of deforestation, where we are focusing our efforts to combat deforestation more effectively”, said.

IBAMA is also active on other fronts against flora and fauna trafficking, biopiracy, and illegal fishing.

Surveillance

In order to increase surveillance, the institute will receive 500 more agents approved through a civil service examination later this year and, as well, a new monitoring system.

“Being there where deforestation took place is not enough. We must get to the area where deforestation is starting, and stop its progress. Being in a deforested region just in order to issue a fine or impose an embargo is not the objective of environmental inspection”, he stated.

This year, IBAMA should receive BRL 198 million investment, allocated for plans designed to combat deforestation and prevent forest fires.

Souza also talked about PrevFogo, an initiative directed at fighting forest fires in federal areas.

This year, nearly 1,800 firefighters will be hired, most of them indigenous or settled. “They are hired in the same location and trained in loco to go on their first fight against fires in that area, the front line”, points out.