Volume 5, Number 11, Page 5

Brazil Passes New Environmental Crimes Law

Brazil recently published a new law addressing environmental crimes. Law No. 9605 establishes a regime of criminal and administrative sanctions for conduct causing damage to the environment.

Law No. 9605 makes it a crime to engage in conduct which causes or may cause damage to the environment. Under the new law, it is unlawful to kill, hunt, capture or use any animal species without authorization or license. It is also a criminal offense to inhibit the reproduction of animal species, or to buy, sell, transport or export animal eggs or larvae without authorization or license.

The new law protects domestic and wild animals from mistreatment and provides that it is unlawful to conduct painful or cruel experiments using animals, even for educational or scientific purposes, when there is an alternative method of conducting the experiments.

The law also makes certain acts involving Brazilian woodlands a crime. It is now unlawful to cut trees in forest reserves, to cause damage to such reserves, and to cause forest fires. It is also a criminal offense to extract minerals from public forests without a license.

The new law also makes it a crime to damage or destroy Brazil’s cultural heritage. The term “cultural heritage” includes public archives, monuments, museums, libraries and scientific laboratories.

For more information regarding Law No. 9605, contact the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade