São Paulo authorities fine individuals for illegal fishing

Authorities in the interior of São Paulo have conducted enforcement actions against illegal fishing activities in Sandovalina and Rancharia.

In Sandovalina, a 49-year-old man was fined R$ 1,182 after being caught by the Military Highway Police using prohibited equipment. During a routine patrol near a farm, officers discovered a group of seven men fishing near a bridge following a prior report. The inspection revealed 2.65 kg of fish and a cast net (tarrafa), a tool often prohibited due to its indiscriminate capture capacity. Further investigation at a nearby camp uncovered three nylon nets and an additional 6.45 kg of fish.

In Rancharia, the Environmental Military Police fined a 34-year-old woman R$ 1,242 for illegal fishing in the Rio do Peixe. The woman was caught using a cast net to capture 12.1 kg of fish. Upon noticing the police, she attempted to hide the equipment. The seized fish was donated to the Vila Vicentina Frederico Ozanam shelter in Martinópolis. The case has been referred to local judicial police for criminal proceedings regarding environmental crimes.