biopiracy crackdown results

8/8/2019 Biopiracy Crackdown Results..

1/11

SHARE: submit print

About | Contact | Mongabay on Facebook | Mongabay on Twitter | Sub

Rainforests | Tropical fish | Environmental news | Blog | For kids | Madagascar | Photos | Non-English languages | Tropical Conservation Science | Jobs

Biopiracy crackdow n results in $59M in fines for Brazilian companies,receives mixed reviews

Morgan Erickso n-Davis, mongabay.comDecember 31, 2010

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Email:

Agoda.com/Hotels Ads

Penny Ande rson Associates

Ecology & Evironmental Consultancy Our

knowledge is your advantagewww.pennyanderson.com

Rolex Enterprise Aw ards

Recognizing Pioneering Projects ThatContribute to HumankindRolexawards.com

Brazil Bahia Investments

Exclusiv Villas, Land or Business Beach front or

Sea View Investmentswww.brazilbahiaproperties.com

Is Jesu s Really God?Scholars Examine the Facts About Jesus' Claims

to be Godwww.Y-Jesus.com/JesusGod

Biopiracy crackdown results in $59M in fines for Brazilian companies, receives mixed reviews http://news.mongabay.com/2010/1230-morgan_biopiracy_brazil.html

1 of 11 7/1/2011 12:48 PM


2/11

The giant monkey frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor) is known for its mind-altering skin

secretions. Shamans in the Amazon rain forest have used this species in hunting

rituals. Photo by Rhett A. Butler.

The Brazilian government is stepping up anti-"biopiracy" measures and imposingsubstantial fines on companies which make use of rare plants or animals withoutgiving adequate compensation to Brazil or its indigenous communities. The moveattracts criticism by some who believe that it hampers scientific research.

Ads by Google

Zero Energy Design EBookwww.ZeroEnergyDesign.com1000 Free-Fuel Energy Savings Ideas Reduce Your Energy Bills to ZERO

Gas Turbine OperatorsMeeFog.com/Gas-TurbineSeeing 20% power loss on Hot Days? MeeFog augments MWs for only $25/kW Advertising Policy

Brazil's unique species have been exploited for centuries by businesses which oftenmake fortunes while overlooking local communities. For instance, the slime from

Kambo frogs, found in the Amazon state of Acre, has been used by pharmaceutical

companies to develop anti-inflammatory drugs without granting Acre residents anyof the profits. In the 1960s, the hypertension medication Captopril was developed bythe US drug company Squibb (now Bristol-Myers Squibb) using the venom of theBrazilian viper - Bothrops jararaca. The venom causes a sudden, massive drop inblood pressure and was used by Indigenous populations on their arrowheads. Itshould be noted that actual snake venom and frog slime are not used in themanufacturing of these drugs.

Brazil's anti-biopiracy initiative began in 2001 with a ruling creating the currentlaws which control species use. The government will expand the program with aproject called "Operation New Direction" which may hike up fines to $29 million with

a possible loss of patents for companies found to be using species which they haven'tregistered.

"Given that (fighting biopiracy) is a new process and that Brazil has one of thebiggest reserves ofbiodiversity in the world, Ithink most of this activityis illegal, and we're goingto find those people,"

ABOUT

Mongabay.com seeks to raise interest in and appreciationwild lands and wildlife, while examining the impact ofemerging trends in climate, technology, economics, andfinance on conservation and development (more)

Help support mongabay.com when you buy from

Amazon.com

POPULAR PAGES


2 of 11 7/1/2011 12:48 PM


3/11

Bruno Barbosa, of the environmental oversight agency Ibama, told Reuters.

One of the largest fines imposed so far has been on the cosmetics company, Natura.The Brazilian company was fined $12.4 million for allegedly including unregisteredgenetic material in its products. Natura denies any wrongdoing and is appealing thefine.

"The company will appeal all of the legal actions, because it is sure it complied with

the fundamental principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity," Natura said ina statement. "Natura has been a pioneer in Brazil in reaching agreements to share

benefits with traditional communities."

Critics say that the anti-biopiracy measures often make it impossible to ship samplesabroad for medical analysis which could provide benefits for all. Zoological researchcan also be hindered, inciting skepticism that the rules are applied too generally.

"The current law is very vague on a lot of points, it ends up classifying everybody asillegitimate," Raul Telles do Valle who works with ISA, a think tank on social andenvironmental issues, told Reuters. "Just passing out fines under the existing

framework isn't going to solve the problem."

He believes that the measures should be more concerned with determining how to

compensate local populations from collective knowledge passed down overgenerations.

However, Barbosa maintains that the fight against biopiracy is important topreserving sensitive environments and promoting fair profit distribution.

"This is going to enable concrete alternatives that substitute destruction of theecosystem for new economic mechanisms," he told Reuters.

Ads by Google

Be Green. Be Good.www.responsibility101.comFor New Year Give Your Life a Sustainable Makeover!

Eco-friendly Technologywww.konicaminolta.comChange the future with advanced technology printers.

Canada BC Rainforest Tourwww.coastalrevelations.comDiscover BC's giant trees, wildlife Vancouver Island guided hiking tour

Rainforests

Rain forestsAmazon deforestationDeforestationDeforestation statsWhy rainforests matterSaving rainforestsAmazon rainforest

Congo rainforestDeforestation statsRainforest canopy

News

Most popular articlesWorth saving?Forest conservationEarth DayPoverty alleviationCell phones in AfricaSeniors helping AfricaSaving orangutans in BorneoPalm oilAmazon palm oilFuture of the AmazonCane toadsDubai environmentInvesting to save rainforestsVisiting the rainforestBiomimicryDefaunationBlue lizard

Amazon firesExtinction debateExtinction crisisBlackwashingIndustrial deforestationSave the AmazonRainforests & REDDBrazil's Amazon planMalaysian palm oilAvatar storyNew GuineaSulawesi

Amazon ranching

Amazon JungleExpeditionEnjoy our adventureand nature packagesat Altos del PastazaLodge

www.altosdelpastazalodge.

Jangala RetreatAn All-Inclusive YogRetreat On The BanOf The Amazon Rivewww.jangalaretreat.com

Davlin ThomasExtraordinary ideasfrom obscure places.

See the theatrical

sublimewww.creativecaribbeannetw

Commercial ShipSecurityArmed security in Gof Aden Embarkteams- Djibouti-Salalahwww.mast-commercial.co


3 of 11 7/1/2011 12:48 PM


4/11

i i kd l i $59 i fi f ili i i i d i h // b /2010/1230 bi i b il h l


5/11

Advertisements:

Mongabay Store

Wildlife of Madagascar T-shirt Bold and Dangerous - Pygmy tyrant

Photos

Alaska Argentina Australia

Belize Brazil Cambodia

Indigenous ExperienceUnique stay in Aboriginal Community

within Kakadu National Parkwww.connections.travel


5 of 11 7/1/2011 12:48 PMBi i kd l i $59M i fi f B ili i i i d i h // b /2010/1230 bi i b il h l


6/11

Love me before I'm gone -Gladiator frog

Licking this frog may make youcrazy

China Colombia Costa Rica

Deforestation Frog Gabon

Grand Canyon Honduras India

Indonesia Kenya Laos


6 of 11 7/1/2011 12:48 PM

Bi i kd lt i $59M i fi f B ili i i i d i htt // b /2010/1230 bi i b il ht l


7/11

Lemur Madagascar Malaysia

Monkey New Zealand Panama

Peru Rainforest Sunset

Suriname Tanzania Thailand


7 of 11 7/1/2011 12:48 PM

Biopiracy crackdown results in$59M in fines for Brazilian companies receives mixed reviews http://news mongabay com/2010/1230 morgan biopiracy brazil html


8/11

Uganda United States Venezuela

HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS / PRINTS

CALENDARS

Mount Kenya


8 of 11 7/1/2011 12:48 PM



9/11

East Africa Safari WildlifeKenya's Turkana PeoplePeruAfrican WildlifeAlaskaChinaMadagascar Chameleons

CANVAS BAGS

Hallucinogenic frog bagMadagascar wildlife bag


9 of 11 7/1/2011 12:48 PM



10/11

Sandra Gwen Bright Lisa Isabel

Lisa Paul Ellis Teng Lim

Mongabay.com on Facebook

3,197 people like Mongabay.com.

Like

Mongabay.com Harpy eagles nest in Belize for the first time

in over 60 years (pictures) http://sns.ly/iFd71

Scientists have confirmed the presence of a harpy eagle nest

in the Maya Mountains of Belize. The discovery represents the

most northerly breeding pair in the Americas , and signals acomeback for a species which has become lo...

See more

5 hours ago via SNS Analytics

Mongabay.comhttp://news.mongabay.com

/2011/0105-peru_kirkland.html

Renewed conflict betw een tribes and

oil companies looms in Peru

news.mongabay.com

Indigenous peoples and their allies have

intensified their fight against two oil

companies over contamination in the

Peruvian Amazon. Last week, a group of

indigenous protesters blockaded portions of

Mongabay.com's Fan Page on Facebook


10 of 11 7/1/2011 12:48 PM

Biopiracy crackdown results in$59M in fines for Brazilian companies receives mixed reviews http://news mongabay com/2010/1230-morgan biopiracy brazil html


11/11

Copyright mongabay 2010

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated from mongabay.com operations (server, data transfer, travel) are mitigated through an association with Anthrotect,an organization working with Afro-indigenous and Embera communities to protect forests in Colombia's Darien region.

Anthrotect is protecting the habitat of mongabay's mascot: the scale-crested pygmy tyrant.


11 f 11 7/1/2011 12 48 PM

biopiracy crackdown results

Documents