City councilor sues Suape prison over shark attack.

Leonardo Lucena and Paulo Emílio_PE247 – Recife councilman Raul Jungmann (PPS) will have a meeting this Tuesday (30), at 16:30 pm, with the prosecutor of the State Public Ministry (MPPE) Ricardo Coelho. The subject: a request for compensation for the victims of shark attacks in Greater Recife, since 1992, as well as for the families of those who died as a result of incidents of this kind to be compensated. The parliamentarian also wants the Port of Suape to allocate a portion of its revenue to the creation of a fund to finance research and solutions aimed at reducing the risks of shark attacks on the beaches of the Metropolitan Region of Recife. At the same time, the State Committee for Monitoring Shark Incidents (Cemit) informed, through an official note, that it will not comply with the MPPE's recommendation to close off stretches of the coast considered risk areas.

“Instead of simply filing (the inquiry), I scheduled a hearing to present this request asking for the opening of a public civil inquiry to compel Suape to create a fund to implement solutions that minimize the risks (of shark attacks),” declared the parliamentarian. According to Jungmann, the compensation should also include the families of the victims who died – 24 of the 59 attacks on the coast of Greater Recife since 1992 have resulted in deaths. However, the councilman said that the decision rests with the Justice system. “I have no doubt that this will be the most controversial measure,” he added.

Seeking to demonstrate the negative repercussions of the latest attack, which occurred on the 22nd of this month and resulted in the death of tourist Bruna da Silva Gobbi on Boa Viagem Beach in the southern part of Recife, Jungmann stated that the incident had a considerable negative impact worldwide on the capital of Pernambuco. The councilman spoke about the video released in the media and on social networks that shows the exact moment of the attack.

"On the internet alone, there were more than two and a half million hits, not to mention those who watched Fantástico, CNN... This is a huge loss for Recife. Suape has to bear the cost," the former communist exclaimed. "Twenty years later, you don't have an effective strategy to minimize the risks of shark attacks. This is very harmful to all of us, while Suape has no responsibility whatsoever," he added.

Last week, the Public Prosecutor's Office of Pernambuco (MPPE) recommended to the State Government the closure of some sections of the beaches in Greater Recife until the necessary measures are taken to minimize the risk of shark attacks. Prosecutor Ricardo Coelho stated that Councilor Raul Jungmann's position aligns with that of the Public Prosecutor's Office in requesting the state Executive branch to implement measures to protect beachgoers.

“There is already work being done in this area by the Public Prosecutor's Office, which is on the verge of reaching a solution,” said Coelho. “The councilman's position aligns with our thinking. I see it very positively because it reinforces our work coming from a respected authority,” he added.

Through an official statement, Cemit reported that the recommendations suggested by the MPPE (Public Prosecutor's Office of Pernambuco) "leave much to be desired in terms of technical basis, are difficult to implement, have questionable effectiveness, and cause considerable environmental impact." The agency also offered to present to the MPPE the results of the last nine years, which, according to the text, "are considered highly adequate for mitigating the problem of shark incidents."

Also through a statement, the Suape Industrial and Port Complex informed that "it will not comment on the matter brought to the attention of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Pernambuco until there is a conclusive response from the agency."