GEO Brasil - UNEP

the state of biodiversity
the state of the environmet in Brazil
conservation criteria, which should be
based in a strong regulation and
control
Despite habitat loss being the greatest
threat to the survival of animal species
in Brazil, the traffic of wild fauna also
plays a relevant role (LeDuc 1996)
Traffic of wildlife, which includes fauna
and its products and by-products, is
the third greatest illegal activity in the
world, after arms and drugs It is
estimated that annually it generates
from 10 to 20 billion dollars (Webb
2001)
European Community, Saudi Arabia
and Japan (LeDuc 1996, RENCTAS
2001) The traffic of animals is
especially harmful for those rare and
most threatened species, such as the
blue macaw (Anodorhynchus leari)
Wood extraction, the use of native
plants in landscape planning,
medicinal use and bio-piracy are
some of the pressures that impinge
upon selected species The state of
Minas Gerais, considered the centre
of genetic diversity of many families
of evergreens on a world scale
(Mendonça & Lins 2000), does not
have a policy or any other preventive
action for the protection of the
group
Wood exploitation, as occurred with
mahogany, in addition to
representing a direct threat to the
species, brings disastrous
consequences to neighbouring areas
The routes specifically open to
extract logs of wood, increase forest
susceptibility of being converted to
lands for cultivation by migrant rural
workers, resulting in habitat
alteration and loss of biological
diversity Annually, more than
120,000m 3 of Latin American
mahogany are traded internationally,
of which the United States imports
76,000m 3 , or 60 percent of the global
trade According to data from
TRAFFIC (2000), the United States
imported mahogany from eight Latin-
American countries in 1998 with 95
percent of these imports coming
from Brazil
Main consumers of this traffic are, in
order of importance: private collectors
and zoos; persons interested in
biotechnology (bio-piracy), persons
responsible for traffic of spiders,
scorpions, snakes and countless plant
species; persons interested in pets;
and persons that trade wildlife
products, such as handicrafts and
clothing In this illegal market, Brazil
is among the main exporters and the
United States the main consumer,
followed by countries from the
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