Brazil: Germans are arrested smuggling ornamental fishes

[Lauro Baldini]

Hello, folks! You must remember me from the "Buying Wild Discus" thread and some other minor interventions. Well, here I am again. Today, "O Estado de São Paulo", one of Brazil's most respected newspapers published the news below (sorry for the English, I'm not a very good translator):

"Germans are arrested smuggling ornamental fishes

Manaus: Another episode of biopiracy in the Amazon. Monday night, Federal Police arrested germans Tino Hammel and Dirk Hezmut Reinel as they were trying to embark at Eduardo Gomes Airport with 220 ornamental fishes captured at Barcelos City (400km from Manaus).

Biopiracy is a very common crime in that region. Last year only, seven cases were reported and 21 foreigners arrested. Every one of them, however, was released and shipped back to their country of origin.

In the germans case, it should be no different. But IBAMA and Federal Police were suprised with the tecnology showed by those pirates of biodiversity. Ornamental fishes and plants found with them were very well packed. Fishes inside glasses used for proper transportation had enough oxygen and water to cross the Atlantic. Everything covered with lead and aluminum to bypass airport fiscalization.

Among sophisticated equipments found with the Germans was even a GPS (Global Position System), a device used to mark the geographic positions where the fish had been captured. "They always acts this way. They take the species to foreign countries and give the coordinates so that a capture team comes back to the place later with better equipment", says the head of fiscalization of the IBAMA, Ênio Cardoso.

Barcelos City, to the north of Amazon, is known by the abundance of ornamental fish. The city even has, every year, at the end of January, the Festival of the Ornamental Fish, that attracts amazonians, tourists and, clearly, biopirates of the whole world."

It really pisses me off.

Anyway, the original link is http://www.estadao.com.br/ciencia/noticias/2003/fev/18/170.htm (portuguese).

Its unfortunate that they arent punished more severely. It doesnt sound as if there is really any deterant from commiting "biopiracy" If they're only sent home and told not to come back??
Any idea why they arent punished? Lack of funds to prosecute??

Tony

[Lauro Baldini]

I don't know for sure, but I think it's because international treaties rule that in those cases people have to be deported.

Cheers,

Lauro.

[Lauro Baldini]

Data from IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources):

The germans have to pay US$27,686.00 in fine.

Besides fish (Royal Blue Discus, Corydoras and others), they were trying to illegaly export some precious stones and gravel.

It was Tino Hammel's third trip to Brazil.

You can see the entire report at http://www.ibama.gov.br/

Regards,

Lauro.

[thebaglady]

What are the normal proceedures for private parties trying to export fish out of the Manaus/Barcelos City area?

Was it just that the two men didn't declare that they had the fish or hadn't paid fees or something? Were they working with an exporter/tour group?

Corys and discus aren't endangered fish. Maybe it was the precious stones and gravel or the amount of fish that got them in so much trouble. That's a pretty stiff fine. :-\

[Lauro Baldini]

The problem is that the germans didn´t have a license to collect and/or export fish from Brazil. That´s the case of almost every foreign collector. But the germans were stupid, they should have gone by river to Suriname, and from there to Germany. Everybody does this.

In fact, some strains of Discus are endangered.

Cheers,

Lauro.

[jim_shedden]

Lauro : Thanks for the info. I really appreciate this stuff because it sheds light on a seedy part of the business that perhaps we (hobbiest) don't hear about.

Thanks : Jim

[thebaglady]

I belong to a local aquarium society and we've been given talks by many great aquarist collectors who (I assume) all went through the proper channels.

I think some were affiliated with Margarita tours.

It didn't occur to me that others might not follow the proper procedures and do things legally. :-\ I'm glad they were caught, especially during a time when the locals were celebrating their fish populations! It not right to exploit the resource just because it's easy or profitable.

I also didn't know some discus strains were endangered! Which are these??

[Lauro Baldini]

According to IBAMA, Discus Royal Blue and Corydoras. I knew something about endangered Discus, but I'd never thought Corydoras would be in danger. I've sent an email to IBAMA asking for more information. As soon as they answer I'll post here.

Cheers,

Lauro.

[thebaglady]

Hey Lauro...we are both at 22 posts. Cool. :) But back to our conversation--

Royal blue discus, some species of Cory, gravel and precious stones = a fine that large! I would rather go the legal route:

We (members of my aquarium society) were just notified that David Schleser is organizing a collecting trip for the Amazon w/ Margarita Tours for July 12-19.

Web site address is www.amazon-ecotours.com

I believe in species maintenance when a habitat is collapsing. If these guys knew they were taking endangered fish out, I'd want to know about the specific habitat, was there some catastrophe? Then I'd want to know why they couldn't go through the proper channels to secure some fish (maybe not 220) :o

Hobbyists can help keep fish from disappearing from the globe, but we all need to follow the proper procedures and rules as best that we're able.

[Lauro Baldini]

Margarita tours goes to Peru, not Brazil. In fact, it would be interesting to know why they go to Peru instead of Brazil (since most of Amazon is in Brazil). Perhaps Brazil's regulations are too severe. I don't know.

I agree with you 100% on the Hobbyists' issue.

As for the Germans, they have comitted "ambiental crime". That's why the fine.

I'll post some more information later. Now I'm in a hurry! :)

Cheers,

Lauro.

[Francisco_Borrero]

Thanks for the info Lauro.
In my opinnion, the fines should be higher.
As an example, I know of someone who attempted to bring young domestically bred Asian arrowana (a CITES species) from Montreal to the US, without bothering with any permits or paperwork. Was caught at the border and the fish and his car (top of the line late model Lexus SUV) was confiscated. This was 5 months ago, and he was told about 2 months ago that the car is not returning.
There are proper channels for most things.
Thanks again, Francisco.

[thebaglady]

I have an update taken from the new Mergus Cichlid Atllas #1 by Uwe Roemer pg 244 and 245 I'll try to paraphrase:

In 1989, Dr. Ning Labbish Chao set up a research project to study all icthyological fauna and evaluate its economic potential. (Called Project Piaba) The project was originally funded by the Herbert Axelrod foundation. (If I remember correctly, I think the ACA helped too.)

The research center was established in Barcelos do Rio Negro. (It holds) a fish festival every February (which) has become so popular it is attended by most collectors, buyers and dealers as well as numerous aquarium hobbyists from foreign countries.

The entire region (of Barcelos) is a protected area for ornamental fish. Collecting within its borders requires a special permit and is subject to official controls.

Issue of permits and a type of pension fund is meant to provide the individual collector an economic incentive to abstain from overexploting the natural resources.

I guess the Germans didn't follow the proper procedures!