Since 2008, when the decree that regulates environmental violations in Brazil was published, only 3.6% of the amounts applied in fines by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) have actually been paid. This equals R$ 2.4 billion out of a total of R$ 67.7 billion in registered fines. The violations that generate these citations include deforestation, hunting and animal trafficking, illegal fishing, pollution, and irregular use of forest resources, among others.
The data cross-check conducted by the newspaper GLOBO, with the help of artificial intelligence, on public databases of the institute identified this enormous discrepancy between the total amount applied and the amount actually collected. The lengthy administrative process for judging these citations, which takes an average of five to six years, is one of the main factors helping to explain this low collection rate.
Another problem pointed out is the lack of servers to analyze cases, which causes many citations to become time-barred before being judged. This combination of lengthy processes and staff shortages compromises the effectiveness of environmental enforcement in the country.
