Court halts Belo Monte
Construction is suspended by court order; if the decision is disobeyed, contractors will be fined R$ 200 per day.
Fernando Porfírio_247 – Construction of the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam in areas of the Xingu River has been temporarily halted by a decision of the Federal Court. The preliminary injunction, issued by Federal Judge Carlos Eduardo Castro Martins of the 9th Environmental Court, determined that the construction will endanger the lives of approximately one thousand families who depend on fishing in the Xingu River.
The judge ruled that the Norte Energia consortium cannot carry out "port construction, explosions, dam construction, canal excavation, in short, any work that interferes with the natural course of the Xingu River with consequent alteration in the fish fauna."
The judge granted a request from the Association of Ornamental Fish Breeders and Exporters of Altamira (Acepoat). The organization filed a lawsuit alleging that the hydroelectric dam will make fishing in the region unviable, as the main fish species would become extinct.
According to the judge, the deadline set for compensating those who make a living from fishing is too long. He stated that the Belo Monte environmental project only allows fishermen to resume their activities in 2020, the deadline for the final phase of the aquaculture project.
If the decision is not complied with, the Norte Energia consortium, responsible for the works, will have to pay a daily fine of R$ 200. The company reported that it has not yet been notified of the decision and that it is already planning actions to mitigate the impact on fishing.