A better way forward for Brazil's fisheries

In December 2014, the Brazilian Minister of the Environment released the new national red lists enumerating 2113 plants and 1173 animals threatened with extinction (1). Of the 475 aquatic species on the list, 83 are commercially exploited by fisheries, mainly as by-catch. The industrial fisheries sector is now using its political influence to persuade the government to change the contents of the list of aquatic animals or revoke it entirely. This would be an enormous setback for the conservation of Brazil's aquatic fauna. The situation is reminiscent of that of the agribusiness lobby weakening the new Forest Code, and other recent political maneuvers that could lead to the opening of mining concessions in strictly protected areas (2, 3).