Heiko Bleher arrested

[trident]

Hi,
Just read about this sad news, Heiko was arrested in Brazil for bringing fish out of the country.

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate...rUrl=Translate

Thought I'll share with you.

[hwchoy]

Yes he and his wife is under arrest but without a trial date. the situation in that trade is complex and overflows with intrigue. particularly that Heiko is technically not a scientist so presumably he has local trade rivals.

[the_oracle]

Hmm.........
A surprise indeed..............


Sanie.

[luenny]

I really don't know what to say about this. I thought he's been there countless times and all the while I thought he's got the permits etc covered.

[Quixotic]

Apparently, he has been under investigation for a year or so before they (IBAMA et al) decided to act on it. The report in trident's post left out some details. Heiko was not arrested because of live fish, but on suspicions of biopiracy, having two bags with fish in formalin and alcohol in his luggage.

Biopiracy is a negative term for the appropriation, generally by means of patents, of legal rights over indigenous knowledge - particularly indigenous biomedical knowledge - without compensation to the indigenous groups who originally developed such knowledge.

Biopiracy? Hmm... I am not entirely sure on the current rules, but it is said that is that if one were to research Brazilian species, this must be accompanied by Brazilian scientists, and published in a Brazilian paper. Hmm... It seems to be a lot more complicated than thought.

With this episode, I think that Heiko will probably be barred from entering Brazil in the future, which would be a shame. Speaking of which, since there is mention of Horst Linke recently, wasn't he also arrested in Brazil sometime in 1999? Is he now barred from entering Brazil?

IBAMA statement on their website, http://www.ibama.gov.br/2008/08/pesq...a-sem-licenca/

Translated details via Google Language Tools...

Researcher German was arrested while trying to board in Manaus in the Brazilian fauna product without a license

Manaus (29/08/0 - Work joint investigation of IBAMA and federal police resulted in the arrest of Heiko Bleher, German researcher based in Italy, while trying to board today to Milan, Italy, Eduardo Gomes at the airport in Manaus, with samples of tissue of fish in alcohol without any environmental permit.

The researcher, which sets out projects, publications and mailings on the Internet, was being investigated for a year by IBAMA and PF that accompanied the steps of German, suspicious of the practice of biopiracy. By knowing that he would leave the country, officials of IBAMA and the police decided revistá it at the time of shipment and made the blatant transport of products of animal life without environmental permit. Heiko and a companion were arrested and driven to the office of the Federal Police of Manaus. At the headquarters of the FP, the couple's luggage was examined. Here, the police found two bags with fish fixed in formalin and alcohol.

According to the Environmental Analyst James Bessa, the Fishery Resource Center of the Superintendency of Ibama in Amazonas, all the material was seized and vai be sent to the National Institute for Research of the Amazon (INPA) for completion of expertise. "They are in most tissues of ornamental fish collected this month, the Araca rivers, the Demini River Basin and the Black River Basin Jutaí of the Upper Solimões." Were also retained expertise to a personal computer, cameras and video equipment for measuring found with the researcher.

Bessa shows that some of the seized are still unknown species of Science. The IBAMA awaits outcome of the report for drawing up the Autos of Violation by collecting and transporting material of wildlife without a license and attempting to leave the country with genetic material not approved, according to the Federal Decree 6.514/08 and 5459/05.

He warns foreign researchers to obtain license of National Research Council (CNPQ) of the Ministry of Science and Technology. If access to genetic heritage has for the purpose of conducting research with potential economic use, as bioprospecting or technological development or involve access to associated traditional knowledge, who is authorizing the Board of Management of Genetic Heritage (CGEN). If access to genetic heritage has for the purpose of conducting scientific research with potential for economic use and does not involve access to associated traditional knowledge, who is authorizing the IBAMA, through the permit system and information on Biodiversity (SISBIO).

[jacian]

A sad thing to happen...

By the way, a petition had been created to be send to IBAWMA, give your support if you wish.

http://www.freeheiko.com

[Merviso]

This is a sad news... I have just sign the petition... All the best wishes to Heiko and his wife...

[Quixotic]

The more I think about biopiracy, the more "Hmm..."s I get. Is there actually any other related biopiracy arrests, especially of someone related to pharmaceutical industry, that happened in recent times?

Yes he and his wife is under arrest but without a trial date. the situation in that trade is complex and overflows with intrigue. particularly that Heiko is technically not a scientist so presumably he has local trade rivals.

Reminded me of wild Orchid collecting book written by Eric Hansen(?), where anarchy supposedly runs freely -- greed, thefts, smuggling, conspiracies, politics, etc. -- like an underground drug trade.

Does the fish trade escalate to such scary heights?!?

[acc]

I think that book is called "Orchid Fever". A very funny and interesting read on the supposedly under-handed dealings of renowned botanical institutions including the famous one in London.