| Brazilian Senate eases Amazon protection rules |
| Written by Administrator |
| Friday, 07 September 2012 08:35 |
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The Brazilian Senate has approved controversial legislation that reforms rules on the amount of land farmers must preserve as forest.The bill, which now returns to the lower house, also eases fines for some previous illegal clearance if farmers commit to a reforestation programme.
Supporters say Brazil needs land for food production, but environmentalists warn of increased Amazon destruction. Latest figures show tree clearance at its lowest since 1988, officials say. After several hours of debate, Brazilian senators voted by 59 to seven to approve the legislation. It now goes back to the Chamber of Deputies, which in May voted to overhaul the Forest Code. Further amendments are expected before going to President Dilma Rousseff to sign into law. The bill poses a political dilemma for President Rousseff, correspondents say, as she aims to both support economic development but also uphold environmental pledges made during her election campaign. |