Ibama annuls fines given to the Onça-Pintada Institute

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Ibama decided to cancel the fines received in June this year by the IOP (Onça-Pintada Institute). The institute had been fined for mistreatment and death of 72 animals from 2016 to 2022, and for the exposure of wild animals on social networks.

The annulment was signed last week by Jônatas Souza da Trindade, deputy president of Ibama. The fines had already been annulled in a first instance judgment by the superintendent of Ibama in the state of Goiás, but Ibama itself appealed against the decision, which led to the case reaching Trindade.

The three fines received by the institute in June amounted to R$452,500. Before that, the entity had already been fined in 2020, at R$ 1,500, for mistreatment – ​​using pepper spray – against an ounce.

The document accompanying the original infraction notice pointed to a high rate of deaths and handling errors that would result in the death of animals. The following are cited: predation by wild specimens, fights between individuals, poison ingestion and predation by rats. Such allegations, according to the document, indicated that there was no safe environment for the animals.

Prior to the decision by the Ibama presidency, a report was prepared with a proposal for a decision. In that document, it was pointed out that Semad (State Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainable Development of Goiás) had carried out inspections at the breeding site and verified the regularity of the place. It is also indicated that Semad is the primary supervisory body of the IOP.

According to the report in the decision, Semad disagreed with the assessment and justified “technically its position for the non-occurrence of the infraction” and, in addition, there would be a prevalence of the manifestation of the primary licensing-supervision body —that is, Semad— in relation to Ibama.

One of the fines concerned inappropriate interactions between the family that runs the breeding site and the wild animals and the exposure of the animals on the internet. In photos and videos frequently posted on various social networks by Leandro Silveira, Anah Tereza de Almeida Jácomo, responsible for the institute, and the couple’s son, it is common to have direct contact —like hugs, kisses and games— with the wild animals present in the park. breeding site.

The behavior differs from what you see on pages from other sites that work with jaguar conservation, for example.

There is criticism in the conservationist circle of the very close contact between humans and wild animals. In addition to an obvious safety issue, there are concerns about conveying an image that wild animals can be kept as pets — and, consequently, a fear of wildlife trafficking.

Regarding the exposure of animals on social networks, the appeal report that is part of the process took into account what was presented by Semad. According to the state secretariat, the use of images on social networks does not cause environmental damage or suffering to animals. The agency also says that, when there is an educational character, the action should be encouraged.

Semad had also stated that a state rule (Normative Instruction No. 1 of 01/19/2021) pointed out that, through notification, the image of wild animals could be used by enterprises. According to Semad, the IOP had previously notified the secretariat about all the internet pages where the animals from the breeding farm appeared.

Again, in the assessment regarding this fine, Semad’s position prevailed over the notice of infraction.

Before the decision for annulment, the MPF (Federal Public Prosecution Service) had stated that, after receiving the requested information, it requested that the file be filed in the criminal area.

Recently, a federal judge had provisionally suspended the embargoes associated with the fines applied at the institute. In that case, the merits of the fines had not been adjudicated.

Justice saw that the embargoes, which prevented the receipt and care of new animals, could represent a risk to possible wild animals that needed treatment.

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