Semas participates in workshop on criteria for release and conservation of manatees in Pará

The State Secretariat for the Environment, Climate and Sustainability (Semas) participated in the Workshop for Defining Criteria for Translocation, Release, and Assessment of the Manatee Population in the State of Pará, held on the 29th and 30th at the research center of the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi in Belém. The meeting, conducted in a hybrid format (in-person and online), brought together representatives from environmental agencies, universities, and civil society organizations to define technical parameters and align conservation strategies for the species.

The Deputy Secretary for Environmental Management and Regularity, Rodolpho Zahluth Bastos, highlighted recent initiatives by the Government of Pará, in partnership with public and private institutions, to strengthen rescue, rehabilitation, and release actions.

“We are participating in a state group of various actions in favor of manatee conservation, both in partnerships with private entities, to strengthen the structuring of conservation spaces for the species. Recently, we closed an agreement with Alcoa for support to ZooUnama and the structuring of the Nhamundá Institute (Oriximiná), the new conservation base for manatees integrated into the Socio-environmental Project Igarapé Nhamundá, with a floating structure and rehabilitation pool. In the case of ZooUnama, we will renovate two acclimatization tanks in the community of Igarapé do Costa, ensure veterinary support, and also provide a vehicle for the transportation of the animals. Additionally, the governor sanctioned State Law 11.171, which declares the marine manatee and the Amazonian manatee as natural cultural heritage of an immaterial nature of Pará, reinforcing policies, agreements, and cooperations around this cause,” said Rodolpho.

Professor Flávio Lima from the State University of Rio Grande do Norte (UERN) and founder of the Center for Environmental Studies and Monitoring (Cemam) explained that the workshop is part of a training program aimed at forming technical teams in Pará to act in all stages of management, following national and international protocols.

“This program includes actions for rescue, rehabilitation, and release, as well as monitoring beaches and assessing impacts. Semas plays a fundamental role, as it acts not only in the formulation of public policies but also directly in the processes of rescue, transport, and institutional support. The expectation is that this workshop will strengthen the technical team in Pará and allow for the return of more animals to nature, contributing to the repopulation of the areas where the species occurs,” he emphasized.

The superintendent of Ibama in Pará, Alex Lacerda, reinforced the importance of cooperation between institutions to face the challenges of conservation and announced new support structures. “The number of animals rescued last year was very high. Initiatives such as acclimatization bases and the construction of new structures in Pará will expand our capacity for reception. With the Wildlife Animal Screening and Rehabilitation Center (Cetras), which will be inaugurated in Benevides, we will have the conditions to treat and allocate rescued animals, strengthening this protection network,” he stated.

The workshop is part of the Manatee Conservation Project of the State of Pará, conducted in partnership with Ibama, Cemam, Instituto Bicho d’Água, UERN, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Ufra, ICMBio, ZooUnama, and the Government of Pará, reinforcing the collective commitment to the preservation of one of the most emblematic species of the Amazon.