Lauro Baldini
03-09-2003, 02:04 PM
Dear Friends:
It's me again with some brazilian news. Please let me know whether this is considered off-topic or doesn't interest anyone in the board.
A major brazilian newspaper, "Folha de São Paulo", released today a very comprehensive article on biopiracy in Brazil. Below I translated some parts of the article. All data is a result of Ibama (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) and Federal Police's investigations.
1. How things work!
--> Collecting
Biopirates illegaly collect from Amazon rainforest plants, animals, micro-organisms, fungae, etc.
--> Disguise
All objects leave Brazil disguised in biopirates luggage, who acts like tourists or researchers.
--> Patents
Products got from Amazon are sold to laboratories ou collectors, who patents substances obtained from plants and animals.
--> Numbers
According to the brazilian government, biopiracy commerce is about 1 billion dollars a year.
--> The damage
Without the patent, Brazil, indians and riverine populations don't receive royalties.
2. Where things happen!
Cities: Alvarães, Barcelos, Borba, Coari, Fonte Boa, Nova Olinda do Norte, São Gabriel da Cachoeira, São Paulo de Olivença, Tefé and Uarini.
Most wanted itens: fishes, micro-organisms, spiders, beetles, butterflies, plants and animals.
Destination: Belgium, France, Holland, Germany, Sweden, USA, England.
3. Who was caught from 1994 to 2003:
29 foreigners (22 from 1999 to 2003). Some cases:
Name: Ulrich Gerharb Friedhelm.
Objects: ants and fungae.
Destination: Texas University, USA.
Name: Milan Hrabovsky.
Objects: plants.
Destination: USA.
Name: Tino Hummel and Dirk Helmut Reinecke.
Objects: fishes.
Destination: Germany.
Name: Willy Robert Fournier, Jean Claude Craviolini, François Léonard Titzé, Bernadette Therese Thonossi, Pierre Andre Berguerand and Louis Jules von Roten.
Objects: butterflies.
Destination: Sweden.
This is just a very condensed version of some of the information released today. If anyone wants more information, just drop a line, ok?
Regards,
Lauro.
It's me again with some brazilian news. Please let me know whether this is considered off-topic or doesn't interest anyone in the board.
A major brazilian newspaper, "Folha de São Paulo", released today a very comprehensive article on biopiracy in Brazil. Below I translated some parts of the article. All data is a result of Ibama (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) and Federal Police's investigations.
1. How things work!
--> Collecting
Biopirates illegaly collect from Amazon rainforest plants, animals, micro-organisms, fungae, etc.
--> Disguise
All objects leave Brazil disguised in biopirates luggage, who acts like tourists or researchers.
--> Patents
Products got from Amazon are sold to laboratories ou collectors, who patents substances obtained from plants and animals.
--> Numbers
According to the brazilian government, biopiracy commerce is about 1 billion dollars a year.
--> The damage
Without the patent, Brazil, indians and riverine populations don't receive royalties.
2. Where things happen!
Cities: Alvarães, Barcelos, Borba, Coari, Fonte Boa, Nova Olinda do Norte, São Gabriel da Cachoeira, São Paulo de Olivença, Tefé and Uarini.
Most wanted itens: fishes, micro-organisms, spiders, beetles, butterflies, plants and animals.
Destination: Belgium, France, Holland, Germany, Sweden, USA, England.
3. Who was caught from 1994 to 2003:
29 foreigners (22 from 1999 to 2003). Some cases:
Name: Ulrich Gerharb Friedhelm.
Objects: ants and fungae.
Destination: Texas University, USA.
Name: Milan Hrabovsky.
Objects: plants.
Destination: USA.
Name: Tino Hummel and Dirk Helmut Reinecke.
Objects: fishes.
Destination: Germany.
Name: Willy Robert Fournier, Jean Claude Craviolini, François Léonard Titzé, Bernadette Therese Thonossi, Pierre Andre Berguerand and Louis Jules von Roten.
Objects: butterflies.
Destination: Sweden.
This is just a very condensed version of some of the information released today. If anyone wants more information, just drop a line, ok?
Regards,
Lauro.