Brazilian environmental-enforcement officials last month levied R$88 million (US$43.6 million) in fines on 35 companies, most of them in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, as part of an ongoing crackdown aimed at protecting the country’s biological resources. The companies are accused of failing to sign benefit-sharing agreements or to comply with regulations governing them. Most are contesting the allegations and appealing the fines with Ibama, the enforcement arm of Brazil’s Environment Ministry. Ibama imposed the fines as part of Operation New Directions II, the second phase of a crackdown on alleged biopiracy violations that was launched in 2010. It has declined to comment on the companies’ appeals until it has weighed those challenges. Gustavo Podesta, Ibama’s inspection coordinator, says the great... [Log in to read more]