Union and Pernambuco sign agreement for shared management of Fernando de Noronha

The Union and the state of Pernambuco signed a conciliation agreement for shared management of the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, informed the Attorney General’s Office (AGU) and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) this Saturday ( 11).

The agreement between the Union, ICMBio, the State of Pernambuco and the State Agency for the Environment of Pernambuco (CPRH) was filed this Friday (10) at the Federal Supreme Court (STF), according to AGU.

Now, the parties are waiting for approval by the Supreme Court for the agreement to enter into force. The case’s rapporteur is Minister Ricardo Lewandowski.

The Union had requested that its ownership over the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha be recognized in an Original Civil Action (ACO) in the Court. He had also asked that Pernambuco follow the clauses of the contract for the assignment of use under special conditions for the area. However, the focus now is to promote cooperation between federal entities for the protection of the environment.

“The document stipulates that the entities will not be able to expand the existing urban perimeter, and must curb irregular constructions and seek the regularization or demolition – when applicable – of those already built in disagreement with the specific environmental norms of the archipelago. On the other hand, until a new capacity study is prepared, with sustainability indicators for the island, the number of tourists cannot exceed 11,000 per month and 132,000 per year”, said the AGU, in a note.

The tendency is for the agreement to become the normative framework for management decisions in the archipelago, with a clear division of responsibilities between the Union and Pernambuco. The agreement must be valid for an indefinite period after being ratified by the STF and can only be “replaced by a new agreement between the parties, also submitted to the prior appreciation of the STF”, says the AGU.

“A follow-up and management committee, composed of four managers (two for each entity), will monitor the effective fulfillment of obligations”, he adds.

ICMBio informed that the agreement will be published in full after approval by the Supreme Court.

“The ICMBio Integrated Management Center in Fernando de Noronha, which covers the National Marine Park and the Environmental Protection Area of ​​Fernando de Noronha – Rocas – São Pedro and São Paulo, will disseminate the document widely and inform the local community about the details of the agreement”, is stated in a note from the institute.

The initiative also involved the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services, the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change and the Federal Heritage Secretariat.