Barges carrying more than 200 mahogany logs through the Amazon have been impounded following a three-day river protest by Greenpeace and the local community.
The owner of the two barges, seized in Porto de Moz, Para State, was fined nearly US$60,000 by Ibama, the Brazilian Environment Agency.
Greenpeace’s protest involved about 40 boats anchored across the Jaraucu River to stop the transport of illegally logged timber. The group claims one of the barges rammed the blockade, endangering the lives of people.
It is calling for the creation of an extractive reserve for sustainable management by local people, a protected area designated for the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources by people who traditionally live in the area.