Brazil: Industry putting more animals in danger

BRASILIA, Brazil - The number of animals on the verge of extinction in Brazil has nearly tripled in the last two decades, Environment Minister Carlos Minc said Tuesday.

The Environment Ministry launched a book examining the number of animals in danger of extinction, with 627 such animals included.

According to Minc, the first such government study of animals on the verge of extinction was performed in 1989, when 218 species were included.

"Industry is expanding, agriculture is expanding, people are occupying protected areas and our conservation units do not have the protection needed," Minc said.

According to the minister, 79 species were taken off the endangered list that was published in 1989, while 489 new species were added.

"We'll fight to remove the largest number of species possible from that list," the minister told reporters, saying the government is taking steps to slow deforestation and increase the amount of federally protected land.

Minc blamed the growing number of endangered species on deforestation in the Amazon, which he said is sparked by soy farmers and ranchers illegally clearing land to plant crops and graze cattle.

He also blamed the illegal trafficking of exotic animals.

According to Renctas, a Brazilian organization that fights animal smuggling, illegal trafficking of rare species generates about $2 billion a year in the country. Many of the animals are sold to collectors in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Minc said the Atlantic rain forest — covering the southern and central coasts of Brazil — was where most of the endangered animals were located. About 90 percent of the original forest has been felled.

The Amazon and the Pantanal regions — where the vast majority of Brazil's animal species are located — contributed less to the list because of their very vastness helps protect the animals, despite the rapid deforestation in those areas, Minc said.

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