A partnership between the federal government and the Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute (IBP) resulted in the launching of the National Emergency Action Plan for the Fauna Affected by Oil (PAE-Fauna), on Tuesday in Brasilia. “The PAE-Fauna fills in the gap of the National Contingency Plan for Oil Pollution Events in Territorial Waters. I would like to highlight the importance of partnership with the IBP, which has prepared an unprecedented mapping in Brazil”, said Sarney Filho, the Minister of Environment.
On the occasion, IBP completed a four-year work in cooperation with the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) when they delivered the Environmental Mapping and Emergency Response at Sea (MAREM). The new database, which is an unprecedented initiative in Brazil, was officially presented to the Minister. “This is a special moment for the oil industry. We are very pleased and we want to move forward in this partnership with the Ministry”, said Jorge Camargo, president of the IBP.
During the presentation of MAREM, the IBP’s executive E&P secretary, Antônio Guimarães, pointed out that this database is unique in Brazil and will allow advances not only to the oil industry. The tool enables the monitoring of fauna species existing in the entire Brazilian coastline and offshore areas subject to accidental oil spills, in addition to the mapping of areas and priority groups for protection. “The results of such information, which is made available through MAREM, is already in use for the benefit of environmental licensing. These are also accessed by universities and NGOs”, added Guimarães.
The IBP’s executive secretary also highlighted the investment made to complete the work, which cost BRL 8 million. This database, which was established with a view to integrating Ibama’s monitoring system, can be accessed from anywhere in the country and holds over 70,000 photographic records of the Brazilian fauna, environments and beaches. The project mapped 7,000 km of the Brazilian coastline, 2,100 locations and 19 cities.
On the occasion, the Ibama introduced the PAE-fauna, which is divided into three parts: A Manual of Good Practices, the Environmental Mapping and Emergency Response at Sea (MAREM) and the Ibama Plan. “I am very proud of what I see”, said Suely Araujo, president of Ibama. The Ibama Plan will be open for public consultation until December 4, 2016.