Project advancement in Boipeba would be land grabbing, says MPF – 04/19/2023 – Environment

Federal Public Prosecutor Ramiro Rockenbach said this Tuesday (18) that the occupation of an area on Ilha de Boipeba, in Cairu (175 km from Salvador), for the construction of a tourist and real estate megaproject could constitute fraud and land grabbing.

In a public hearing at the Commission on Human Rights and Public Security of the Legislative Assembly of Bahia, in Salvador, the attorney stated that the land for the development belongs to the Union and that its occupation must follow the provisions of the legislation.

“There are rules and these rules need to be complied with. Following the path you are intending to follow would mean, without mincing words, officiating a public land grab and that is not admissible,” Rockenbach told the Sheet.

The company Mangaba Cultivo de Coco, responsible for the project, denies irregularities and claims that the documentation ensures ownership of the property.

The enterprise had an environmental license granted by Inema, the environmental agency of the government of Bahia, at the beginning of March.

The project foresees the construction of a condominium with 67 lots, two inns (one with 25 rooms and the other with 25 houses), road infrastructure, pier and airstrip. The total land area is 1,651 hectares, equivalent to 20% of the island of Boipeba, and is located close to the Cova da Onça community, where around 700 people live.

The use of two lots was also authorized for the construction of a cultural center, a soccer field and a waste treatment plant, which would be destined to the local community.

Federal legislation provides that Union land can be used under an occupation regime. In the opinion of attorney Ramiro Rockenbach, however, this regime would be incompatible with areas of environmental interest or occupied by traditional communities, as is the case of Ponta dos Castelhanos.

He also states that, if there was no public interest and the Union chose to transfer the property to a private entity, it would be necessary to carry out an auction with public competition. “Other than that, it’s fraud, it’s land grabbing,” says the attorney.

In a note, Managaba Cultivo de Coco states that the area is located on land owned by the Navy and that, in 2007, its free tenure was claimed by the former owner. The company points out that “various documents ensure ownership of the property by the partners”.

“We bought the land in 2008 and, as legitimate owners, we legally occupy this area and continue to pay the occupancy tax that had already been paid regularly for many years”, says the company.

On April 7, the SPU (Secretary of Union Heritage), linked to the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services, paralyzed the installation process of the enterprise. With the decision, for 90 days, the effects of the transfer of ownership of the property are suspended, until “possible defects in the process” are clarified.

The public hearing to discuss the mega-project was requested by state deputy Hilton Coelho (PSOL) and was attended by specialists, parliamentarians and residents of the island.

The communities were divided, with the right to boos and applause, in addition to the beginnings of riots during the interventions.

Cacilda Rocha, from the Salve Boipeba movement, said that the undertaking has the potential to cause irreversible impacts on the island, highlighting the suppression of areas of Atlantic forest and the filling up of mangroves.

Residents in favor of the project, on the other hand, highlighted that the construction of the inns and condominiums will be a vector of development for the Cova da Onça community. Educator Thaiane Magalhães stated that school dropout is a symptom of the lack of opportunities in the community.

In the political field, PT and Bolsonarists joined in arguments in favor of the undertaking. Government leader in the Legislative Assembly, state deputy Rosemberg Pinto (PT) defended the environmental licensing carried out by Inema.

“It is not the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office or the State Public Prosecutor’s Office that owns the truth. These institutions suggest and, at the limit, legally sue those who are making mistakes,” he said. “It’s good for someone who earns R$40,000 to say that the population doesn’t need a job there.”

State deputy Diego Castro (PL) was also in favor of licensing the project. “I never thought I’d agree with the state government [comandado por Jerônimo Rodrigues, do PT]But if it is to defend development and economic freedom, I will defend it no matter who it comes from.”

Contrary to his colleagues, deputy Hilton Coelho (PSOL) said that the studies carried out indicate that the territory is owned by the Union, which would make a large undertaking unfeasible.

He also defended the development of public policies to generate employment and income based on the experience of traditional communities. “The wealth of that region can be enjoyed by workers from the community itself. There are alternatives.”

The undertaking is the target of an MPF ​​action in Bahia that questions the impacts on the local community, as the region is in the process of being recognized as a reserve for traditional communities. The agency requests that the environmental license be revoked.

At the time of the MPF action, Mangaba said that the project was submitted to several public bodies and that the license is linked to the fulfillment of 59 socio-environmental conditions.

He also stated that the Fazenda Ponta dos Castelhanos project foresees construction in less than 2% of the total area of ​​the property, and vegetation suppression in 0.17%, which would guarantee “the natural preservation of the APA of the islands of Tinharé-Boipeba”.