28 – Biodiversity conservation
Objective of the program
To create and to implement measures for the recovery and conservation of the impacted aquatic fauna of the basin of the Doce River.
Between September 3rd and 5th, a seminar was held to evaluate the results of five years of PMBA monitoring in the Espírito Santo portion (PMBA/FEST).
On 08/14/2024, the final report regarding the “Summary of the Environmental Impact Assessment of Conservation Units in the Doce River basin and marine coastal region – Group 5” was forwarded (Clause 181).
On July 10, 2024, the work plan for the New Phase of Monitoring Aquatic Biodiversity in the Freshwater, Coastal and Marine Regions of Espírito Santo was approved by CIF Ad Referendum Resolution No. 2.
On June 28, 2024, official letter FR.2024.1729 was filed regarding the Presentation of the Monitoring Report for Year 2 of the Action Plan for the Recovery and Conservation of Aquatic Fauna of the Doce River Basin (PABA) – Clause 164c.
On June 28, 2024, official letter FR.2024.1725 was filed regarding the Presentation of the 5th Annual Report of the Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program for Environmental Area I – ES Portion of the Doce River and Adjacent Marine and Coastal Region – PMBA/ES – Cl 165.
On the 27th and 28th of May 2024, the Year II Monitoring Meeting of the PABA - Action Plan for the Recovery and Conservation of the aquatic fauna of the Doce River was held together with the GAT (Technical Advisory Group).
On April 18, 2024, letter FR.2024.1008 and annex referring to the Review of the proposed methodological scope for the New Phase of Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring were sent in accordance with Item 2 of Deliberation 726/2023 – Clause 165 of the TTAC.
On February 1, 2024, letter FR.2024.0251 and annexes referring to the Protocol for the “Integrated Diagnosis of the Freshwater Environment of Minas Gerais” were sent, part of the project “Integrated Diagnosis and Analysis of Freshwater Aquatic Biodiversity of the Doce River” (Ekos Institute).
On February 6th and 7th, 2024, the Workshop on Validation of Priority Areas for the Conservation and Restoration of Biodiversity in the Doce River Basin was held in Lagoa Santa/MG. The event brought together the Technical Advisory Groups for Biodiversity Action Plans, PABA and PABT, with the aim of presenting the results of the study of Priority Areas for Conservation and Restoration of the Doce river basin, carried out by FBDS (Brazilian Foundation for Sustainable Development ) and IIS (International Institute for Sustainability).
On February 22, 2024, CIF Deliberation No. 765 was received, which approves with reservations the Work Plan - Collection and Analysis of samples for identification and quantification of methylmercury in the Minas Gerais region in compliance with CIF Deliberation No. 727/2023.
On January 22, 2024, letter FR.2024.0173 and annexes referring to the Work Plan for the New Phase of Monitoring in the Freshwater, Coastal and Marine Region of Espírito Santo were sent.
On January 22, 2024, SEI letter No. 4/2024/CTBio/DIBIO/ICMBio and Technical Note No. 04/2024/CTBio/DIBIO/ICMBio were received, which approve with reservations the Work Plan for Collection and Analysis of samples for identification and quantification of Methylmercury in the Minas Gerais region, in compliance with CIF Deliberations 666 and 727/2023.
On December 13th and 14th, 2023, the 6th Integration Workshop was held - Call 10/2018: Integrated Analysis of Freshwater Aquatic Biodiversity of the Doce River.
On December 13, 2023, letter FR.2023.3061 and its annexes were sent regarding the Delivery of the Fifth Semiannual Evolution Report of the Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program – ES Portion of the Doce River and Adjacent Marine and Coastal Region (PMBA/FEST).
On December 11, 2023, letter FR.2023.3108 was sent regarding the presentation of the Work Plan for Monitoring Methylmercury in Minas Gerais, in compliance with CIF Deliberation No. 727 of November 8, 2023.
On December 11, 2023, the new PAI proposal - Integrated Action Plan - for CT-Bio was presented.
On December 18, 2023, the document with the Complete Report of the Citizen Science Seminar was published with guidelines for the new phase of the program.
On November 20, 2023, letter FR.2023.2929 and its annexes were sent referring to the “PMBA MG Target and Raw Data Monitoring Reports - Year 3 of Call 10/2018 - FAPEMIG, in compliance with Clause 165 of the TTAC”.
On November 23, 2023, letter FR.2023.2988 and its annexes referring to the 2nd Part of the sending of documents, Target Monitoring Reports and Raw Data of PMBA MG - Year 3 of Call 10/2018 - FAPEMIG, in attendance to Clause 165 of the TTAC.
On November 28, 2023, letter FR.2023.3030 and its annexes referring to the 3rd part of the sending of documents were sent, with the Goal Monitoring Report of the Thematic Line IV of PMBA MG - Year 3 of Call 10/2018 - FAPEMIG , in compliance with Clause 165 of the TTAC.
On November 27th and 28th, 2028, the 3rd Seminar to evaluate the projects of Call 10/2018 FAPEMIG was held.
On September 20, 2023, official letter FR.2023.2327 was filed, referring to the forwarding of “Raw data from years I and II of Call 10/2018 FAPEMIG”, in compliance with Clause 165 of the TTAC.
Between September 25th and 27th, 2023, technical visits were carried out to the FEST/UFES laboratories by the team that manages monitoring programs in support of the RENOVA Foundation (MCA company). The laboratories visited were LEBIOMA (Marine Phytoplankton), LABZOO (Zooplankton), LATEAC (Periphyton) and LIMNOLAB (Limnology). On this occasion, occupational health and safety procedures and the storage and analysis of the matrices collected by the project were verified, with the aim of contributing to the continuous improvement of the quality of the activities carried out in support of the programs.
Receipt of proposals from FUNBIO Call 11/2023 to support scientific research projects aimed at monitoring populations of target species in the Doce River basin, with the Call closing on August 14, 2023.
August 17th and 18th, 2023: Holding of the 4th PMBA Technical-Scientific Assessment Seminar (UFES/FEST).
On July 5, 2023, official letter FR.2023.1628 and annex was sent referring to the presentation of the Work Plan for the inclusion and evaluation of Methylmercury in the PMBA, in compliance with CIF Resolution No. 666/2023.
On the 4th and 5th of July, the 3rd Workshop (2nd virtual) was held on the Integrated Analysis of the Freshwater Aquatic Biodiversity of the Doce River.
On May 3, 2023, the letter FR.2023.1042 and its respective annexes were filed regarding the delivery of the Book of abstracts, raw data and answers to the guiding questions of the Research Lines of CHAMADA 10 FAPEMIG.
On May 18, 2023, the letter FR.2023.1199 was sent referring to the Request for renegotiation of the deadline for presenting the next annual results of the Aquatic Biodiversity monitoring of Environmental Area I - Capixaba Portion of the Doce River and Adjacent Marine and Coastal Region (PMBA/ FEST-RRDM).
On May 2, 2023, the letter FR.2023.1032 was sent regarding Context for Closing Item of Clause 165 Item I for consideration by the Technical Board.
On the 10th, 11th and 12th of May 2023, the Seminar for the discussion of partial results of the two years of execution of the research was held - CALL 10/2018 FAPEMIG.
Presentation to the GATs of the Terrestrial (PG30) and Aquatic (PG28) Action Plans of the Methodology for the Assessment of Priority Areas for Biodiversity Conservation carried out by the FBDS and IIS, on May 18th.
On May 24, 25 and 29, 2023, the Year 1 Monitoring Meeting of the PABA - Action Plan for the recovery and conservation of the aquatic fauna of the Doce River was held with the GAT.
On March 23 and 24, 2023, the Integration Workshop between FAPEMIG Research Lines Call 10/2018, referring to the Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program in Minas Gerais - Clause 165, was held in Belo Horizonte.
On March 3, 2023, the letter FR.2023.0517 was filed referring to the presentation of the Report and raw data for Subproject V (Study of the ichthyofauna of the Doce River Basin after the failure of Samarco's tailings, with a focus on food safety: assessment of tissue oxidative stress) and the Final Compiled Report (final project report). These products make up the project “Study of the Doce River Basin Ichthyofauna after the Samarco tailings dam collapse”, as part of compliance with CIF Resolution No. 521 of August 5, 2021 and Clause 165 of the TTAC.
On March 8, 2023, the letter FR.2023.0544 and annexes were filed regarding the presentation of the UPDATED VERSION OF THE WORK PLAN of the Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program – Capixaba Portion of the Doce River and Adjacent Marine and Coastal Region (PMBA/FEST); project that complies with item III of clause 165.
On February 10, 2023, official letter FR.2023.0321 and attachments were sent referring to the delivery of the 4th Semiannual Evolution Report (RSE2022_RT42) of the Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program – ES Portion of the Doce River and Adjacent Marine and Coastal Region (PMBA/ FEST-RRDM), in compliance with CIF Resolutions No. 579 and No. 631.
On February 14, 2023, letter FR.2023.0159 and annexes related to the presentation of the digital version of the Book “Action Plan for the Recovery and Conservation of the Aquatic Fauna of the River Basin of the Doce River (PABA)” were sent, as part of the service to Clause 164 of the TTAC (item “c”).
On February 24, 2023, letter FR.2023.0365 and its annexes were sent referring to the Semester Report on Reproductive Monitoring of Sea Turtles, season 2021/2022, referring to clause 165 of the TTAC.
On February 24, 2023, letter FR.2023.0464 was sent referring to the presentation of the Monthly Activity Report of FUNDAÇÃO PROJETO TAMAR, corresponding to the period from January 16, 2023 to February 15, 2023, in compliance with Clause 165 of the TTAC.
On February 27, 2023, letter FR.2023.0476 and its annexes were sent in response to Official Letter SEI No. 86/2022-CTBio/DIBIO/ICMBio, referring to the Request for delivery of missing data and results in the 3rd Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program (PMBA), in the Espírito Santo portion, referring to the 3 years of study.
On December 7 and 8, 2022, a workshop was held to prepare the Integrated Action Plan for the recovery and conservation of aquatic biodiversity.
On December 14 and 15, 2022, the 2nd Evaluation Seminar of CHAMADA 10/2018 – FAPEMIG/ Fundação Renova was held.
On December 28, 2022, the protocol of the results and registration of the construction workshops of the Integrated Action Plan for Aquatic Biodiversity was carried out.
On November 11, 2022, letter FR.2022.1739 was sent referring to the presentation of a detailed schedule of field activities carried out under Clauses 165 and 168 of the TTAC, in response to Letter SEI No. 70/2022-CTBio/DIBIO/ICMBio .
On November 11, 2022, letter FR.2022.1748 was sent referring to the resubmission of the “Executive Summary of the Action Plan for the Recovery and Conservation of the Aquatic Fauna of the Doce River Basin” (PABA), as part of compliance with Clause 164c.
On November 16, 17 and 21, 2022, the results of the 3rd Annual Report of the PMBA were presented.
On November 25, 2022, official letter FR.2022.1827 was sent referring to the presentation of the Monthly Activity Report of Pro-Tamar Foundation.
On November 8, 2022, official letter FR.2022.1746 and its annexes were filed referring to the “Partial Technical-Scientific Target Monitoring Reports – Year II” of the Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program of the Environmental Area I – MG Portion (Call 10 /2018 FAPEMIG).
On November 9, 2022, letter FR.2022.1745 was sent referring to the restatement of the results of the 3rd Annual Report of the PMBA by Doce River Sea Network, in response to letter SEI nº 66/2022-CTBio/DIBIO/ICMBio.
On October 24, 2022, Official Letter FR.2022.1631 was filed regarding the presentation of a report and raw data for Subprojects II (Assessment of the effects of the presence of pollutants on the trophic ecology of the ichthyofauna of the Doce River basin) and IIIB (Population dynamics and evolution of the ichthyofauna in the Doce river basin - Population analysis using microsatellites). These Subprojects make up the “Study of the Doce River Basin Ichthyofauna after the Samarco tailings dam collapse”, as part of compliance with CIF Resolution No. 521 of August 5, 2021 and Clause 165 of the TTAC.
On September 28, 2022, the official letter FR.2022.1471 was sent regarding the presentation of the Monthly Activity Report of FUNDAÇÃO PRÓ-TAMAR, corresponding to the period from August 16 to September 15.
On August 12, 2022, the Book of Action Plan for the Recovery and Conservation of the Aquatic Fauna of the Doce River Basin (Clause 164, subparagraph c) was sent for evaluation by CTBio, in compliance with the request made at the 64th Ordinary Meeting of CTBio, of July 06, 2022.
On August 18 and 19, 2022, the in-person Workshop on the Integrated Action Plan for Aquatic Biodiversity was held.
On August 19, 2022, Official Letter FR.2022.1206 was filed regarding the presentation of the report and raw data of Subprojects I (Biotic integrity index of the Doce River basin after the Fundao dam collapse iron ore tailings) and IV (Diet variations of fish from the Doce River Basin
). These Subprojects comprise the “Study of the Doce River Basin Ichthyofauna after the Samarco tailings dam collapse”, in compliance with CIF Deliberation No. 521 of August 5, 2021 and Clause 165 of the TTAC.
On July 29, 2022, in response to the official letter SEI Nº 21/2022-CTBIO/DIBIO/ICMBIO, the official letter FR.2022.1099 was sent along with the Executive Summary of the Action Plan for the Recovery and Conservation of the Aquatic Fauna of the River Basin Doce, as part of compliance with Clause 164, item “c”.
On July 31, 2022, the semi-annual report on the Monitoring of Reproduction of Sea Turtles in Doce River Mouth, carried out by Tamar Project Foundation, from August 1, 2021 to January 31, 2022, was presented.
Holding of the 2nd GAT-PABA Meeting, from June 2 to 7, 2022, regarding the evaluation of the actions of the Action Plan for the Recovery and Conservation of the Aquatic Fauna of the Doce River, with a review of the actions by the GAT to consolidate the Summary Executive, resulting in 50 actions distributed in 17 conservation strategies.
Approval by CT-Bio of the Proposal for methodological updates for the PMBA/ES in the Coastal environment, through SEI Official Letter No. 46/2022-CTBio/DIBIO/ICMBio, of June 20, 2022.
Approval of the Work Plan for the Integrated Action Plan through Official Letter SEI No. 49/2022-CTBio/DIBIO/ICMBio of June 23, 2022, in response to official letters FR.2022.0558 and FR.2022.0902.
CIF Resolution No. 594 of June 23, 2022 approves the consolidated report on the process of preparing the Action Plan for the Recovery and Conservation of the Aquatic Fauna of the Doce River Basin, version of March 2022, with reservation, and considers item "b" of Clause 164 to be completed.
CIF Resolution No. 595 of June 23, 2022 approves the 2nd Annual Report of clause 165 of the Transaction and Conduct Adjustment Agreement (TTAC), referring to the Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program, discussed within the scope of the Technical Board of Conservation and Biodiversity – CT-BIO/CIF.
Presentation of the monthly report on the activities of Pro-Tamar Foundation, which includes the activities carried out in the period from April 16 to May 15, 2022.
Approval of the proposal for methodological updates of the PMBA for the Freshwater and Marine environments by CTBio on May 3, 2022, by SEI Official Letter No. 30.2022/CTBio/DIBIO/ICMBio
Protocol for the revision of the definition document, based on the consolidation of CT-Bio's contributions.
On 04/07/22 - Protocol of the work plan of the Integrated Action Plan, in compliance with item b of Resolution 578
On 04/28/22 - Presentation of the monthly report on the activities of Pro-Tamar Foundation, which includes the activities carried out in the period from March 16, 2022 to April 15
On 04/12/22 - Presentation of the Proposal for methodological updates for the PMBA in the Freshwater and Marine environments, under Official Letter FR.2022.0590
Approval of the document defining the Aquatic Biodiversity Conservation Program (PG28), Clauses 164 to 166 of the TTAC, through CIF Resolution No. 583, of March 25, 2022.
Holding of the 1st meeting with the GAT (Technical Advisory Group) of the Action Plan for the Recovery and Conservation of the Aquatic Fauna of the Doce River Basin, starting the period of validity for the execution of the actions.
Presentation of monthly reports on the activities of PRO-TAMAR FOUNDATION, which include the activities carried out in February and March 2022.
Presentation of the 4th Annual Report “Monitoring of Reproduction of Sea Turtles on the Doce River Coastal Plains - August/2020 to July/2021" (4th year of monitoring) in compliance with Clause 165, of Term of Reference 4 of Annex 6.
Protocol of the revised report on the process of preparing the Action Plan for the Recovery and Conservation of the Aquatic Fauna of the Doce River Basin, in accordance with SEI Official Letter No. 12/2022/CTBio/DIBIO/ICMBio.
Delivery of the 3rd Annual Evolution Report 2021 (RA2021) of the Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program of Environmental Area I – Espirito Santo Portion of Doce River and Adjacent Marine and Coastal Region (PMBA/FEST-RRDM).
Holding of the 3rd Technical-Scientific Seminar to evaluate the Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program – Results of the 3 years of PMBA.
Conclusion of the negotiation for the new agreement with FUNARB/UFV for the monitoring of freshwater ichthyofauna, ichthyoplankton and macroinvertebrates for Years 4 and 5 of the PMBA (Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program).
On 12/07/21, the Official Letter SEI No. 78/2021-CTBio/DIBIO/ICMBio was received regarding the conclusion of item B of Clause 164 of the TTAC.
Seminar for the presentation of the PMBA semiannual report - Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program
On 10/01/21, the final report on the preparation of the action plan for the recovery and conservation of aquatic fauna in the Doce River basin was filed
On 10/01/21, the PROTAMAR Foundation's monthly activity report was filed, referring to clause 165 of the TTAC.
On 10/05/21, the third biannual report on the evolution of aquatic biodiversity monitoring in environmental area I – Espirito Santo portion of Doce River and Adjacent Marine and Coastal Region (PMBA/RRDM-FEST) was filed.
On 09/24/2021, the 4th biannual report on the reproductive monitoring of sea turtles was delivered
On 09/08/2021, an official letter was sent in compliance with item 3 of CIF deliberation nº 461.
On 08/12/21, the Partial Reports of the "Study of the Doce River Basin Ichthyofauna after the Samarco tailings dam collapse" were presented
On 08/30/21, the TAMAR Monthly Technical Report for the period from July 16, 2021 to August 15, 2021 was presented, referring to Clause 165 of the TTAC
On August 12th and 13th 2021, the meetings on Goals and Indicators for the Elaboration of the Action Plan for the Conservation of Aquatic Biodiversity, referring to Clause 164 of the TTAC, were concluded.
Kick Off of the Agreement with the contractor for the Monitoring of Thematic Line IV - Biogeochemical Processes - Cycle 1
On 06/25/2021, letter FR.2021.0777-02 was sent, containing the presentation of the final report of the "Doce River Aquatic Biota Species State of Conservation Assessment” process, with a new adjustment, as requested by the focal points of clause 164 (SEI letter 21.2021/CTBio).
On 06/28/2021, were sent letter FR.2021.0124_04 and Monthly Activity Reports of the PRO-TAMAR Foundation, from May and June, referring to TTAC clause 165.
In the period from 06/28/2021 to 07/02/2021, a Workshops were held to create the Action Plan for the recovery and conservation of aquatic species - CL 164.
On 05/14/2021, the Renova Foundation presented letter FR.2021.1103-03 containing the new final version of the Proposal document of the “Action Plan for Conservation and Recovery of the Doce River’s Aquatic Biodiversity”.
On 05/20/2021, the Renova Foundation presented the proposal for the preparation of the Integrated Action Plan for
Aquatic Biodiversity Conservation (clauses 164, 165, 168 and 181) in compliance with Item 5 of Resolution No. 450 of
October 22, 2020
On 05/21/2021, the Renova Foundation presented the final report of the “Doce River Aquatic Biota Species State of Conservation Assessment” process, in response to letter SEI 21.2021/CTBio, referring to item b of TTAC clause 164.
On 05/26/2021, the Renova Foundation presented the peer review evaluation of the Second Annual Report on the Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring of Environmental Area I – Espirito Santo Portion of the Doce River and Adjacent Marine and Coastal Region (PMBA/RRDM-FEST), prepared by the group of independent researchers from Instituto Ekos Brasil, according to the schedule set out in FR.2020.2105 of December 18, 2020.
On 05/31/2021, the Pro-Tamar Foundation's monthly activity report was filed, referring to TTAC clause 165, in addition to the receipt of the SEI/CIF filing.
Filed, on 04/08/2021, the final version of the document with the Action Plan Proposal for the Conservation and Recovery of the Aquatic Biodiversity of the Doce River, in compliance with Technical Note No. 01/2021/CTBio/DIBIO/ICMBio, referring to item “c” of Clause 164.
On 03/25/2021, the preparatory meeting for the Evaluation Workshops of Action Plan Cl. 164 was held.
On 02/19/2021, the Proposed Action Plan for the Recovery and Conservation of Aquatic Biodiversity - Clause 164, paragraph "c", was revised.
On 02/26/2021, the final report of the Assessment of the State of Conservation of the Doce River Aquatic Biota was filed, under the scope of paragraph “b” of Clause 164.
There were no relevant facts in January.
Resumption of field activities of the “Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring in Environmental Area I - Espirito Santo portion of the Doce River and the Adjacent Marine and Coastal Region”, conducted by FEST/RRDM, within the scope of TTAC clause 165, in December 2020. The resumption considers adjustments in the work routine necessary to face the COVID-19 pandemic.
In December 2020, the Second Annual Report for “Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring in Environmental Area I - Espirito Santo portion of the Doce River and the Adjacent Marine and Coastal Region” was filed with the Technical Board of Conservation and Biodiversity (CTBio), in compliance with clause 165 of Term of Reference 4;
In December 2020, the Ground Zero Seminar was held for Thematic Axes I, II, III, V and VI of the 10/2018 tender - “Research, Development and Innovation for Biodiversity of Aquatic Environments Monitoring in Minas Gerais in Areas Impacted by the Fundao dam collapse - Mariana - MG ” in partnership with the Foundation for Supporting Research of the State of Minas Gerais (Fapemig).
Filed the partial report of the Doce River Aquatic Species State of Conservation Assessment in compliance with item “b” of CL 164, with part of the additional information requested in Official Note SEI nº 30 CTBio/DIBio/ICMBio
Beginning of night and day monitoring of reproductive activities of sea turtles, in the coastal plain of the Doce River.
There were no relevant facts in September.
On 07/08/2020, the Second Half-Yearly Report of the Monitoring of Aquatic Biodiversity of the Environmental Area I - Espirito Santo portion of the Doce River and Adjacent Marine and Coastal Region, was filed in the Technical Chamber of Conservation and Biodiversity (CTBio), in compliance with clause 165 of the Term of Reference 4;
* On 10/08/2020, field activities were resumed on the "Study of Ichthyofauna of the Doce River Basin after the Collapse of the Samarco Tailing dam", conducted by the Society of Forestry Investigations (SIF) and Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), regarding the monitoring of aquatic fauna in the Minas Gerais portion of the Doce River, under clause 165 of the TTAC. The resuming of activities considers adjustments in the work routine to cope with the public health emergency of international significance due to the coronavirus (COVID-19);
* On 13/08/2020, the Bi-Annual Report “Reproductive Monitoring of Sea Turtles in the Coastal Plain of the Doce River-August/2019 to January/2020” was filed in compliance with clause 165 of the Reference Term 4, Annex 6;
* On 19/08/2020, the document with the proposal of the action plan for the repair and conservation of the aquatic biodiversity of the Doce River was filed at the Technical Chamber of Conservation and Biodiversity (CTBio), in compliance with subitem " c " of clause 164 of the TTAC
• On 07/29/2020, we started reviewing the Term of Reference 4 (TR4) in a video conference between the Renova Foundation, the Technical Board of Conservation and Biodiversity (CTBio), and the Dom Cabral Foundation. This moment was called "Pre-Journey" and had the objective of presenting the methodological proposal and objectives, guidelines, and premises for updating TR4.
• On 07/30/2020, the documents discussed in the "Pre-Journey" meeting were shared with Technical Board CTBio for validation. They include the presentation "Updates to TR4", which contains the methodological proposal, and the guiding document "Updates to the Term of Reference for the Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program in the Espirito Santo and Coastal Portion (objectives, guidelines, and premises)".
• On 06/10/2020, the Annual Report "Monitoring of Reproduction of Sea Turtles on the Doce River Coastal Plains - August/2018 to July/2019", in compliance with Technical Note nº10/2020/TAMAR Vitoria-ES/DIBIO/ICMBio and Clause 165 of the Transaction and Conduct Adjustment Agreement (TTAC), was filed with the Technical Board of Conservation and Biodiversity (CTBio).
• On 06/12/2020, through Technical Note nº10/2020/CTBio/DIBIO/ICMBio, CTBio recommends that CIF concludes clause 164 (a), with the Renova Foundation being obliged to update CTBio about the protection of fish specimens collected within the scope of provision 164, together with the National Institute for Research in the Amazon (INPA), in the context of the study "Genetic database for fish species in the Doce River Basin with mitochondrial genes sequencing for application in environmental DNA," presenting supporting documentation.
• On May 15, 2020, the Work Plan for the installation of twenty satellite monitoring transmitters in Caretta females was filed in compliance with Technical Note nº 10/2020/TAMAR-Vitoria- ES/DIBIO/ICMBio, with the Technical Board of Conservation and Biodiversity (CTBio).
• On May 19, 2020, the Bicho do Mato Research Institute was formally contracted to prepare the Action Plan for the Recovery and Conservation of aquatic fauna after a kick-off meeting between the contractor and the Renova Foundation, in compliance with item "c" from Clause 164 of the Transaction and Conduct Adjustment Term (TTAC).
• On May 20, 2020, the Monitoring Report of ichthyofauna, ichthyoplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates including collection and analysis of aquatic organisms at ten different spots in the Capixaba portion of the Doce River basin was submitted to CTBio, in compliance with Clause 165 of the TTAC.
• On May 25, 2020, the georeferenced files were submitted in shapefile format with metadata and unified raw data spreadsheets, in addition to reports prepared by the Econservation company together with CTBio, in compliance with Clause 165 of the TTAC, provided for in Attachment 2 of Term of Reference 4 (TR 4), and to item "a" of Clause 164 of the TTAC.
• On 04/22/2020, the final report of the "Conservation Status Assessment of Doce River Aquatic Biota Species" was filed with the Technical Board of Conservation and Biodiversity (TB-Bio). It was conducted according to Term of Reference nº 2 ICMBio (Chico Mendes Institute of Biodiversity Conservation) and necessary adjustments, in compliance with item "b" of Clause 164 of the Transaction and Conduct Adjustment Term (TTAC).
• On 03/12/2020, the management committee of the 10/2018 Call - “Research, Development and Innovation for Monitoring the Biodiversity of Aquatic Environments in Minas Gerais in Areas Impacted by the Fundao Dam Collapse - Mariana - MG”, of the RFP in partnership with the Foundation for Supporting Research of the State of Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), approved the results of Thematic Axes I, II, III, IV, V and VI, after completing the diligence of Thematic Axis VI, analysis and rejection of resources. The projects are aimed at the following lines of research: i. biogeochemical processes; ii. sediment dynamics and hydrogeomorphology; iii. aquatic biota - habitat structure; iv. aquatic biota - communities, populations and bio-invasion; v. ecotoxicity; and vi. riparian forests.
• On 03/17/2020, the monitoring of aquatic fauna in the rainy season in Minas Gerais, and aquatic biodiversity in Espirito Santo, from Annexes 1 to 8 of the Term of Reference 4 (except the Monitoring of Sea Turtles), were suspended due to recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
• On 02/03/2020, the contract addendum was signed with the Pro-Tamar Foundation to carry out satellite monitoring of sea turtles in the coastal plain of the Doce River, as requested in Memorandum SEI Nr. 9/2019-TAMAR-VitoriaES/DIBIO/ICMBio.
• On 02/14/2020, after the team and equipment were mobilized, the field activities started of the “Study of the Doce River Basin Ichthyofauna after the Samarco tailings dam collapse”, conducted by the Society of Forest Investigations (SIF) and Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), monitoring of aquatic fauna in the Minas Gerais portion of the Doce River within scope of TTAC Clause 165.
• On 01/03/2020, the second annual report by the ProTamar Foundation on the “Monitoring of Reproduction of Sea Turtles on the Doce River Coastal Plains” was filed with the Technical Board of Conservation and Biodiversity (TB-Bio) in reference to Clause 165 of the TTAC. This study is carried out in compliance with objective 10 (Monitor the mating areas of Caretta and Dermochelys Coriacea turles around the mouth of the Doce River) in Annex 6 (Monitoring of Mammals, Turtles and Seabirds Associated with the Doce River Mouth, Continental Platform and Adjacent Protected Areas) of Term of Reference 4 - document guiding the execution of Clause 165.
• On 01/20/2020 and 01/21/2020, the “Workshop to Review the Definition of the Biodiversity Programs” was held, in compliance with TTAC Clause 203. The participative event was attended by the Renova Foundation, representatives of TB-Bio and the Public Prosecution Service to review the objectives, scope, indicators/goals and criteria for closing programs 28 - Conservation of Biodiversity, 29 - Improving Wildlife Screening and Rehabilitation Structures, 30 - Terrestrial Biodiversity Conservation and 39 - Conservation Units.
• On 01/23/2020 and 01/24/2020, the “Workshop for the Assessment Validation of the conservation status of fish species and aquatic invertebrates native to the Doce River Basin” was held in Belo Horizonte/MG. The workshop aimed to validate whether the application of the assessment criteria is consistent with the methodology of the 295 International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN). Those that participated in the event are: Taxon Coordinators of the Biodiversity Foundation; the focal point of the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conversation (ICMBio); members of the Renova Foundation; TB-Bio and scientific community with experience in applying IUCN criteria and categories.
The assessment of the conservation status of fish species and aquatic invertebrates native to the Doce River in Environmental Area 1, referring to item “b” of Clause 164, expected to be completed in 2019, has not been completed. Cause: Three months delay in signing of contract with the Biodiversity Foundation to execute the scope. Countermeasure: To file a new work plan agreed with the Biodiversity Foundation, contracted for execution of this stage, formalizing a new schedule for compliance with clause 164 "b" with TB-Bio.
The elaboration of the action plan for biodiversity conservation, referring to clause 164 (c), scheduled for 2019, has not been completed. Cause: This stage depends on the results of the assessment of the conservation status of fish species and aquatic invertebrates native to the Doce River to be delivered (mandatory). Countermeasure: No countermeasures were drawn up for the fulfillment of this delivery, since efforts were concentrated in the mandatory predecessor stage.
The semiannual and annual reports of the second year of aquatic biota monitoring in freshwater environments (Annex 2 of TR4), scheduled for 2019, have not been filed. Cause: Delay in the issuance of authorization (ABIO) by IBAMA for fauna collections for the monitoring of ichthyofauna, ichthyoplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates, with a consequent delay in the commencement of collections in the second year. Countermeasure: No countermeasure action was taken since collections, with a fixed deadline of one year for each cycle, depend on authorization.
The Annual Report for the second cycle of reproductive monitoring of sea turtles, scheduled for 2019, has not been filed. Cause: Delay in the review of the report by the contractor, after requests for adjustments by the Renova Foundation, and in the delivery of documents in the version required for filing with TB-Bio. Countermeasure: File the Annual Report of the second cycle of reproductive monitoring of sea turtles with TB-Bio, after receiving and reviewing the documents.
Realization of the “Workshop for the definition of Biodiversity result indicators - Programs 28 and 30”, with the participation of specialists, representatives of TB-Bio and the Renova Foundation to discuss the premises, criteria for the selection of indicators and proposals for result indicators of the programs. As agreed at the event, the suggestions produced during the workshop will undergo an additional participants contribution period after which the program indicators are defined.
The start of aquatic biodiversity monitoring in the Doce River in Minas Gerais, scheduled for 2019, did not occur. Cause: Delays in the contracting process of the winning institutions of the competitive RFP, carried out in partnership with FAPEMIG, for the monitoring of the Doce River aquatic biota in Minas Gerais. Countermeasure: Contract an academic research institution in order to carry out monitoring in Minas Gerais until the partner institutions selected through the RFP are hired and mobilized.
The Metals and Arsenic Quantification Reports and the Report Protocol for the Assessment of Food Safety, based on studies underway by SIF/UFV, scheduled for 2019, have not been completed. Cause: These reports are not complying with TTAC and other deliveries were prioritized. Countermeasure: Reschedule the frequency of deliveries after evaluating the first results.
The contingency action planning protocol, referring to Clause 166, scheduled for 2019, has not been carried out. Cause: So far, the results of aquatic biodiversity monitoring have not resulted in contingency actions. Countermeasure: Since the contingency actions must originate from the aquatic biodiversity monitoring program, no countermeasure actions were developed.
• On 11/08, the “Work Plan for the Evaluation of the Conservation Status of Doce River Aquatic Biota Species”, revised as Technical Note 27/2019, to comply with TTAC Clause 164 (b), was filed with CT-BIO in compliance with CIF Resolution No. 337.
• On 11/20 and 11/21, the “2nd Technical-Scientific Seminar for the Evaluation of the Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program” was held to present and discuss the data from the first year of aquatic biodiversity monitoring in the Espirito Santo portion of the Doce River, mouth and estuarine environments, in compliance with Annexes 1 to 8 (except Ichthyofauna, Ichthyoplankton and Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Sea Turtle Monitoring) of TTAC Term of Reference 4 and Clause 165.
• On 11/22, the contracting process for the complementary monitoring of the Doce River aquatic biodiversity in Minas Gerais was completed. The scope will be carried out in partnership with the Federal University of Viçosa with the project “Study of the Doce River Basin Ichthyofauna after the Samarco Tailings Dam Collapse”.
• Filed, on 11/25, pursuant to CIF Resolution 336, were the letters of receipt of the scientific collections of public institutions, the Darwin Core standard raw data sheets, and the files in shapefile format with the spatialization of all data of the individuals registered during the “Doce River Ichthyofauna Monitoring Program in the States of Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo”, carried out in compliance with TTAC Clause 164 (a).
• From 11/27 to 11/29, the “Assessment Workshop for the Conservation of Species of Native Fish and Aquatic Invertebrates of the Doce River in Environmental Area 1” was held, in compliance with TTAC Clause 164 (b). The meeting was attended by the Renova Foundation, Taxon Coordinators, ICMBio Focal Point, CT-BIO representatives and experts from the scientific community to assess the risk of extinction of each target species of the study following the criteria and categories of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• The 2nd annual report on “Monitoring of Reproduction of Sea Turtles on the Doce River Coastal Plains” was not filed. Cause: Delay of 20 days in the delivery of the report by the contractor, scheduled to be delivered on 11/10, and the review of the report with suggestions of the technical team. Countermeasure: Monitor the contractor's review of the report by the agreed deadline (12/06) in order to file the report in December;
• Approval and publication of the final result of the projects selected for the monitoring of the Doce River in Minas Gerais through the highly competitive RFP, in partnership with FAPEMIG, was not carried out. Cause: Delay in signing the approval documents of the results due to the transition process of the Renova Foundation CEO. Countermeasure: Send the signed documents to FAPEMIG for approval and dissemination of the results.
• On 10/10, the re-evaluation was concluded of the winning project for the study of the thematic line VI - Riparian Forests - selected through the highly competitive RFP carried out in partnership with the Foundation for Supporting Research of the State of Minas Gerais (Fapemig), for monitoring the aquatic biodiversity of the Doce River in Minas Gerais.
• On 10/17, a partnership agreement was signed between the Espirito Santo Technology Foundation and the Renova Foundation to continue the monitoring of the Doce River aquatic biodiversity in Espirito Santo, river mouth and estuarine environments. The second year of the aquatic biodiversity monitoring program in the Espirito Santo section of the Doce River began in October this year.
• The approval and publication of the final result of the projects selected in the competitive RFP held in partnership with FAPEMIG to monitor the Doce River biodiversity in Minas Gerais, scheduled for October, were rescheduled for November due to the need for signature of the approval documents by the presidency of Renova Foundation and FAPEMIG to announce the results and close the call. The team is closely monitoring the process coordinated by the partner institution.
• The completion of the internal contracting process for the supplemental monitoring of the Rio Doce aquatic biodiversity in Minas Gerais, scheduled for October, was rescheduled for November, due to the delay in the contract signing process between the Renova Foundation and the Federal University of Viçosa. The documents signed by the Foundation were sent to the partner institution for their signature.
• On 09/06/2019, the analytical report was delivered with data on the quantification of metals and arsenic in organisms collected during the Doce River Ichthyofauna Monitoring Program for fish safety evaluation in Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo, in partnership with the Society of Forest Investigations, an organization of the Federal University of Vicosa (UFV).
• On 09/20/2019, the actions related to the assessment of the taxonomic groups, subjects of the study to evaluate the conservation status of native species of fish and aquatic invertebrates of the Doce River in Environmental Area 1 were planned during the first preparatory meeting, in compliance with clause 164 (b). The meeting was attended by representatives of the Renova Foundation, Taxon coordinators of the Biodiversity Foundation, representatives of the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and the Technical Board of Conservation and Biodiversity (CT-Bio).
• The homologation of results and the publication of the final result of the projects selected for the monitoring of the Doce River in Minas Gerais in the highly competitive RFP, carried out in partnership with the Foundation for Supporting Research of the State of Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), planned for September, were rescheduled for October because the result for thematic line VI (Riparian Forests) is still in due diligence and FAPEMIG is awaiting re-evaluation by professionals appointed by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences for approval and dissemination.
• The completion of the internal procurement process for the complementary monitoring of the Doce River aquatic biodiversity in Minas Gerais, scheduled for September, was rescheduled for October due to the review process of the contractual draft by the partner organization's legal sector.
• On 8/13/2019, the contracting process was completed of the Biodiversity Foundation for the execution of Phase 2: assessment of the conservation status of native Doce River fish and aquatic invertebrates in Environmental Area 1. The objective of this phase is the evaluation of the conservation status of endangered aquatic biota species in the Doce River Basin, due to the Fundao dam collapse, focusing on the aquatic invertebrate and ichthyofauna classes.
• On 08/20/2019, the selection took place of the projects for the monitoring of the Doce River in Minas Gerais, referring to thematic axes I to V of the highly competitive RFP held in partnership with FAPEMIG. The result for thematic axis VI (Riparian Forests) is still in diligence and the selection of the winning project will be reviewed by professionals appointed by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and forwarded to FAPEMIG for approval and dissemination.
• On 07/19/2019, was filed with the Technical Board of Conservation and Biodiversity (CT-Bio) the revised version of the Biannual Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Report of the Doce River and Adjacent Marine and Coastal Region (Annexes 1 to 8 of Term of Reference 4) and its erratum, with the changes suggested by the participants after the “1st Technical-Scientific Seminar on the Evaluation of the Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program”, held in May 2019.
• On 07/26/2019, was filed with the CT-Bio the Work Plan for the assessment of the conservation status of endangered aquatic biota species in the Doce River Basin in Environmental Area 1, due to the Fundao dam collapse, pursuant to TTAC Clause 164 (b), as requested by CIF Resolution 282. The classes of aquatic invertebrates, odonata and ichthyofauna will be evaluated in the study.
• On 07/29/2019 and 07/30/2019, the first seminar was held to share and discuss the results presented in the Annual Report on the Aquatic Biota Monitoring in Freshwater Environments, in Vitoria (ES). The seminar focused on the presentation of data for the first year of monitoring of aquatic biodiversity in the Doce River in compliance with IBAMA-ES Notification 678311/2015 (Annex 2 of Term of Reference 4). The event was attended by representatives of CT-Bio, thematic coordinators of the contractor and technical staff of the Renova Foundation.
• The contracting of a supplier to assess the conservation status of native fish species and aquatic invertebrates of the Doce River in Environmental Area 1, in compliance with Clause 164 (b), which was scheduled for July 2019, was rescheduled to August 2019. The rescheduling took place to adjust the partnership agreement draft and resolve questions of areas that support the Renova Foundation's contracting process.
• The approval of the resources and the publication of the final results of the projects for monitoring the Doce River in Minas Gerais, selected in the competitive RFP in partnership with FAPEMIG, was scheduled for July 2019 but needed to be rescheduled to August 2019. The rescheduling occurred due to a delay in the judging of the appeals against the selection of the winning project of Theme Line VI - Riparian Forests - by FAPEMIG.
• The presentation to the technical board CT-Bio of the Partial Report on Monitoring of Metal and Arsenic Concentration in Fishes in the Doce River, MG and ES, as assessed by the SIF/UFV during the rainy season, planned for July, was rescheduled for September.
The presentation is an internal proposal of the Renova Foundation and was postponed due to prioritization of deliverables agreed with the technical board and other project stakeholders.
• On 06/24/19, The Technical Board CT-BIO filed the 2nd Half-Yearly Report issued by the PRO-TAMAR FOUNDATION on “Monitoring of Reproduction of Sea Turtles on the Doce River Coastal Plains”, developed with the objective of monitoring the spawning areas of Caretta caretta and Dermochelys coriacea around the Doce River Mouth (Annex 6 of Term of Reference 4).
• On 06/14/19, the results of the extensively competed RFP, organized in partnership with FAPEMIG for the selection of projects for the first monitoring cycle of the Doce River in Minas Gerais, were disclosed. The RFP aims to select studies by theme, which are: Biogeochemical processes; Sediment Dynamics and Hydrogeomorphology; Aquatic Biota-Habitat Structure; Aquatic Biota-Communities, Population and Bioinvasion; Ecotoxicity; and Riparian Forests.
• The contracting of the supplier to assess the conservation status of fish and aquatic invertebrate species native to the Doce River in Environmental Area 1, for compliance with Clause 164 (“b”) was scheduled for June 2019 but has been rescheduled for July 2019.
• The seminar to present and discuss the results of the Monitoring of Aquatic Biota in Fresh Water Environments, presented in the Annual Report and referring to the first year of aquatic biodiversity monitoring in the Doce River, in compliance with IBAMA-ES 678311/2015 (Annex 2 of the Term of Reference 4) was scheduled for June 2019 but has been rescheduled for July 2019.
• On 05/08/2019, the Annual Monitoring Report of the Aquatic Biota in Sweetwater Environments was submitted to the technical board (CTBio), in compliance with IBAMA Notification No. 678311/2015.
• On 05/22 and 05/23/2019, the "1st Technical-Scientific Seminar on the Evaluation of the Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Program" was held to present and discuss data of the monitoring of the Espirito Santo portion of the Doce River, estuarine, coastal and marine environments for Addendums 1 to 8 (except Ichthyofauna, Ichthyoplankton and Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Monitoring of Sea Turtles), in Vitoria (ES).
• On 05/30/2019, the Report of the Population Study of Ichthyofauna and aquatic invertebrates of the Doce River channel and tributaries in Environmental Area 1 (TTAC Clause 164 sub-paragraph "a") and reviewed in compliance with Technical Notes nº 32/2018 and nº 07/2019, were filed with CTBio.
• On 05/30/2019, the Work Plan of the Data Management System generated in the monitoring of aquatic biodiversity (TTAC Clause 165), in compliance with CIF Resolution No. 279 of April 23, 2019, was filed with CTBio.
• The submission of the Protocol of the Semiannual Report referring to the 2nd Cycle of Reproductive Monitoring of Sea Turtles (Addendum 6) to the Technical Board CTBio, which was scheduled for May 2019, was rescheduled for June 2019.
• Protocol for the Semiannual Monitoring Report for Addendums 1 to 8 (except Ichthyofauna, ichthyoplankton and Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Monitoring of Sea Turtles). TR4_Cycle 1 in Technical Board CTBio.
• Protocol of responses to the request for adjustments to the Annual Report Monitoring of Sea Turtles_Cycle 1 by CTBio.
Issuance of the Authorization (ABIO) by IBAMA for the collection of fauna to monitor the ichthyofauna, ichthyoplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates.
Completion of proposal submission process for Fapemig Public Call 10/2018, in partnership with the Renova Foundation, for research, development and innovation, to monitor the biodiversity of aquatic environments in Minas Gerais in areas impacted by the collapse of the Fundao dam in Mariana (MG).
In total, 25 proposals were received, which are under analysis. The results are expected to be released on May 3, 2019.
The Renova Foundation filed with the CTBio the report with the study to identify and characterize the acute and chronic impact on the species affected by the dam collapse in the Doce River, mouth and estuarine and marine environments. This study was conducted by the Espirito Santo Foundation of Technology (FEST) for the agreement signed between the Renova Foundation and the Federal University of Espirito Santo (UFES) - Doce River Sea Network. The results of the study may provide support for decision-making on the health of the fish and indicate possible remedial measures. With the continuity of monitoring in the Doce River, it will be possible to visualize the fish status in the river and some of its tributaries, besides having a clearer idea on the paths to be adopted so that the recovery can occur in a natural or accelerated way.
The CIF revised the definition of the Program, in compliance with Technical Note No. 16/2018/CTBio/DIBIO/ICMBio* dated 10/01/2018. In this review, the resolutions and other documents that have emerged since the last review were updated (information on actions taken and in progress), timeframes, adequacy of the analytical framework of the programs, and review of indicators and costs.
The final report of the Ichthyofauna Population Survey was filed with the Technical Board CTBio. This report includes details on the methodologies and the results of one year of the "Doce River Ichthyofauna Monitoring Program”, in which the biota species populations were studied that were impacted by the Fundao dam collapse in the approximately 670 km stretch of the Gualaxo do Norte, Carmo and Doce Rivers. Biological communities, despite having a good resilience, show that the mudflow has had some effect.
However, in general, the results indicate that these communities are in the process of recovering.
Publication of the FAPEMIG 10/2018 Call, with a broad range of competition, aiming to select and finance research, development and innovative projects applied in Minas Gerais, for generating knowledge, processes and technologies within the following thematic axes: Biogeochemical processes; Sediment Dynamics and Hydrogeomorphology; Aquatic Biota - Structure of Habitat, Communities, Populations and Bio invasion; Ecotoxicity and Riparian Forests; and to enable the identification, measurement and monitoring of the environmental impacts caused by the Fundao dam collapse and generation of technical-scientific knowledge for the management, mitigation and repair of environmental impacts.
The second disbursement was made related to the cooperation agreement between the Renova Foundation and FEST (Espirito Santo Foundation of Technology) for monitoring the aquatic biodiversity in the Espirito Santo portion of the Doce River, the estuary and impacted estuarine and marine environments. The results of this study will allow the assessment of the impacts of the dam collapse on biodiversity and define the necessary restorative actions.
The Renova Foundation received the report for identification and characterization of the acute and chronic impact on the species of the food chain affected by the material originating from the event (FEST Preliminary Data Report - Espirito Santo Foundation for Technology). The report presents analyses based on data/information obtained from the main studies carried out shortly after the dam collapse and those available before the collapse.
Filed, on 10/22, with the Technical Board of Biodiversity (TBBio) was the final report of the study conducted in environmental area 1 of the Doce river basin for the quantification and classification of fish and aquatic invertebrates collected during monitoring (four quarterly campaigns in the months of Apr/17, Jul/17, Oct/17 and Jan/18). This report addresses the current condition of fish populations and provides information that can be used to develop measures for the recovery and conservation of aquatic fauna in the region. It is under evaluation by the Technical Board CTBio, with its response expected by 12/21/18.
Filed, on 10/22, was the annual report of the study carried out between August/17 and July/18 by the Pro-Tamar Foundation on the reproductive activity of sea turtles in the area from the mouth of the Riacho River, in the municipality of Aracruz (ES), to the island of Guriri, in Sao Mateus (ES), including part of the municipality of Conceicao da Barra. The reproductive behavior of the female turtles was monitored during this period, showing that the eggs hatching rate, the number of females in reproductive activities and the number of nests that have remained the same when compared to the period before the dam collapse.
Initiated by FEST on 09/20/18, activities to monitor aquatic biodiversity in the Espirito Santo portion of the Doce River, at the mouth and impacted marine and estuarine environments. The initiated monitoring complies with most of the Addendums to Term of Reference 4 (TR4) which covers the guidelines for compliance with TTAC Clause 165. This clause refers to the elaboration and implementation of measures to monitor the aquatic biota at the mouth of the Doce River and the impacted estuarine and marine environments. The results of this study will allow the identification and details of the chronic and acute impacts of the dam collapse on this biodiversity and to define the necessary reparatory actions. The delivery of the report comprising the activities of the first six campaigns of this monitoring, covering the period from September to March/2019, is scheduled for May/2019. In Nov/2018 will be presented by FEST, a report prepared from the data available before and after the dam collapse (past data) that will identify and show in detail the impacts on the species in that region.
Collection of fish samples for evaluation of the concentration of metals and arsenic in fish was started by the Federal University of Vicosa (UFV), on 09/17/18. The objective of the study is to determine the degree of food safety by analyzing the concentration of heavy metals in the fish musculature. 36 sampling points distributed along the Doce River Basin (MG and ES) will be evaluated, covering both impacted sites, as well as some points that were not (control points). The collections will cover the dry and rainy season, starting in Sep/18 and expected to end in May/19. The delivery of the partial report comprising monitoring activities in the rainy season covering the period from October 2018 to February 2019 is scheduled for Mar/2019.
Concluded the bi-annual report of the ichthyofauna and aquatic invertebrate population study, in compliance with IBAMA notification 678311/2015 and the first year of aquatic biodiversity monitoring along the rivers Gualaxo do Norte, Carmo and Doce and tributaries, in Environmental Area 1, according to Annex 2 of Term of Reference 4 (TR4). This term covers the guidelines for compliance with TTAC Clause 165 that refers to the creation and implementation of measures to monitor the flora and fauna at the mouth of the Doce River and impacted estuarine and marine environments. The report includes the activities of the first six aquatic biota monitoring campaigns in Environmental Area 1 of the Doce River, carried out between April and October/17. The present study, although preliminary, already provides indications about the state of the populations after the dam collapse and brings additional information to discuss actions for their conservation.
Approval by the Renova Foundation of the FEST work plan for the monitoring of aquatic biodiversity in the Espirito Santo portion of the Doce River, estuary and impacted marine and estuarine environments. The presented plan meets most of the Addendum of Term of Reference 4 (TR4), which covers the guidelines for compliance with Clause 165 of the TTAC. The results of this study will allow the assessment of the impacts of the dam collapse on biodiversity and define the necessary reparatory actions. Initiation of the monitoring activities is scheduled for 2018.
To date, 230 monitoring points of aquatic biodiversity along the entire Espirito Santo portion of the impacted Doce river, mouth, estuarine and marine environments; 43 THOUSAND water samples, sediments, animals and plants will be collected; 565 professionals from 24 research institutions are involved in the monitoring process; R$ 120 million will be invested in just 16 MONTHS of monitoring (1st Cycle).
Species monitored will vary from bacteria to whales.
With the signing of the agreement between the Renova Foundation and Fapemig, it was possible to initiate the selection of research projects aimed at the monitoring of aquatic biodiversity, as well as proposals for contingency actions in the section of the Doce River that lies in Minas Gerais. The publication of the notice for the high-competitive tender by the entities responsible for monitoring is scheduled for August.
In addition, the cooperation agreement between the Renova Foundation and the Espirito Santo Foundation for Technology (FEST) was signed to ensure the monitoring of aquatic biodiversity in the Espirito Santo portion of the Doce River, at the mouth and in impacted marine and estuarine regions. The results of this study will allow the assessment of the
impacts of the dam collapse on biodiversity and define the necessary restorative actions.
Monitoring activities are expected to start in September.
The Renova Foundation and Fapemig signed an agreement, which is now in effect. This will allow research projects, aimed at monitoring aquatic biodiversity, to start being selected, and possible contingency actions in the mining section of the Doce River to start being proposed. The next step is to publish a call for a wide range of entities responsible for monitoring to bid.
A semi-annual report on sea turtles reproduction monitoring on the Coastal Plain of the Doce River was also filed at the Biodiversity Technical Board. This report includes the Pro-Tamar Foundation’s activities during their first active semester, between September 1, 2017 and February 28, 2018. It explains the reproductive behavior of female sea turtles, nest distribution and the effects of contamination on the health of females and their offspring.
The agreement signed between the Renova Foundation and the Foundation for Supporting Research of the State of Minas Gerais (Fapemig) was approved by the Board of Governors. After the approval, selection began of research projects aimed at aquatic biodiversity monitoring, as well as proposals for contingency actions in the Doce River section that lies in Minas Gerais.
During this period, Aplysia was contracted, which will be responsible for the elaboration of the fish quality report. This document will provide technical data for assessing the real need to maintain the fishing ban in the coastal region near the mouth of the Doce River, in the estuary (transitional aquatic environment between river and sea) and in the Doce River itself. A group of experts will assess whether the data generated is reliable and compare it with results from independent studies. The goal is to present a solid document that enables decision-making by environmental agencies. This report is part of the studies that will be submitted for analysis and technical review to the National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and the State Forestry Institute (IEF), which will decide on the resumption of fishing activities.
After one year of monitoring, the ichthyofauna sample collections were completed in the Environmental Area 1 of the Doce River. The work will provide data for the study on fish populations and aquatic invertebrates after the dam collapse. This research will be used to evaluate the state of conservation of the ichthyofauna. With this study, it will be possible to direct the recovery actions of aquatic biodiversity that will be part of the National Action Plan (PAN).
A group of experts of the consulting company Aplysia was hired. With the hiring the activities can start in order to issue the report on the available information regarding water quality and sediment, state of health of fish, dispersion of tailings and risks to human health.
The Agreement of Technical-Scientific and Financial Cooperation with FEST and the Federal University of Espirito Santo (UFES) was approved. This agreement will give way to the monitoring of the aquatic biodiversity of the Doce River (ES portion), mouth and impacted marine and estuarine environments.
A meeting was held with ANVISA to analyze the report on metal and arsenic concentrations in tissue of fish from the Doce River.
In January, a Resolution was issued by the Interfederative Committee (CIF), which determines the initiation of biota and environment monitoring activities on the Espirito Santo site of the Doce River and estuarine, coastal and marine regions until February 28.
The complementary document to the work plan for the assessment of aquatic biodiversity was filed and the methodology for monitoring marine aquatic fauna (clause 165i) was presented, in compliance with Technical Note No. 8/2017/CTBio/DIBIO/ICMBio.
In November, the Renova Foundation filed a draft of the public notice with the Technical Board of Biodiversity (CTBio) and the Foundation for Supporting Research of the State of Minas Gerais (Fapemig) for the contracting and carrying out of studies on the recovery and conservation of the aquatic fauna impacted in the State of Minas Gerais (FBEMIG), portion of the Doce River, as requested in CIF Resolution 113.
On October 26, in compliance with Resolution 112, the working plan was submitted for evaluation by the Inter-Federative Committee (CIF).
Monitoring was started of the entire reproductive cycle of sea turtles in partnership with the Pro-Tamar Foundation. The monitoring will take place along 156 km of beach, between Aracruz and Conceicao da Barra, in Espirito Santo.
No relevant completions were reported this month. The actions of the program continue in progress.
The revised working plans for assessing the quality and ecotoxicity of water and the methodological description of aquatic fauna monitoring measures (clause 165i) were filed with the Technical Boards of Conservation and Biodiversity (CTBio) and the Inter-Federative Committee (CIF), according guidelines of the Term of Reference 4 (TR4), prepared by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and Resolution No. 79 of the CIF. These works were presented as a guide for the evaluation of the impact caused by the collapse of the Fundão dam and define the scope of activities to be carried out in a period up to five years.
Assignment to CTBio of the gross data of the first monitoring campaign of Clause 164 and the Notification of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (IBAMA) nº 678311/2015.
Finalization of the hiring process of the Pro-Tamar Foundation, which will monitor marine turtles along 156 km of Espirito Santo shore.
Delivery of the Working Plan based on studies of the fauna of the Doce River, which includes the presentation of experiences obtained by the field team in the first campaign of this monitoring, allowing the adoption of new practices or correction of the practices in use.
Contracting of the Pro-Tamar Foundation to carry out the monitoring of sea turtles, which will contribute to the analysis of environmental impacts on these animals and possible measures necessary for their recovery.
The working plan for the assessment of the quality and ecotoxicity of the water and the methodological description of aquatic fauna monitoring measures (clause 165i), in accordance with the guidelines of the Term of Reference 4 (TR4) prepared by ICMBio, were filed with the Technical Board of Biodiversity and Conservation (CTBio) and the Inter-Federative Council (CIF).
These works were presented as a guide for the evaluation of the impact caused by the collapse of the Fundão dam and define the scope of the activities to be carried out in a period of up to five years.
In April, the population study started of fish and other aquatic life forms in approximately 670 km along the rivers Gualaxo do Norte, Carmo and Doce. Among the expected results are worth highlighting: understanding of the environmental impacts on these organisms and associated environments; proposal of mitigation measures, conservation and management of species and environments, if necessary. The study is being conducted in compliance with an IBAMA Notice and item “A” of Clause 164.
The working plan was submitted in compliance with Clause 164 for evaluation by the Inter-Federative Committee (CIF). This plan describes the actions that will be carried out in the Doce River channel and some tributaries, from the municipality of Mariana (MG) to the river mouth in Espirito Santo, in order to carry out the assessment of the aquatic biota in accordance with item “A” of clause 164.
The Renova Foundation filed the working plan both with the Inter-Federative Committee (CIF) and the Technical Board of Conservation and Biodiversity (CTBio). In accordance with determination 51/2017, in place since this month, the institution is awaiting the results of the population study of the ichthyofauna, to be carried out by Econservation, to contract the remaining items of clause 164.
The contracting of logistics for the execution of the marine environment monitoring is ongoing. The Renova Foundation continues with the proceedings to formalize the agreement and execution of the monitoring related to Clause 165 with the Doce River Sea Network (Rede Rio Doce Mar).
The Renova Foundation contracted logistics to assist in the implementation of marine monitoring carried out by universities and environmental agencies. This was the third monitoring done by the universities that are working with the institution in the formalization of an agreement.
The contracting of Econservation was communicated to the Technical Board of Conservation and Biodiversity (CTBio) on December 6, 2016, the date of its fifth meeting.
The company Econservation was hired to meet the demands of clause 164 and will conduct the population study of the aquatic biota, according to the term of reference submitted in September. The other items will be contracted as soon as the first results come out.
In addition, an alignment meeting was held to discuss the biodiversity conservation working plan in order to formalize the agreement with the Foundation of the Federal University of Espirito Santo (UFES).
The Renova Foundation received the terms of reference from the Technical Board of Conservation and Biodiversity (CTBio) with the necessary guidelines to conduct the identification and characterization studies of the acute and chronic impact on the organisms of the freshwater, estuarine and marine environments, corresponding to clause 165.
The Renova Foundation received the terms of reference from the Technical Board of Conservation and Biodiversity (CTBio) with the necessary guidelines for the execution of population studies of freshwater fauna, assessment process of the conservation status of native species and guidelines for the elaboration of a working plan to comply with the clause, specifying the elaboration and implementation of measures for the recovery and conservation of aquatic fauna in the ENVIRONMENTAL AREA 1.
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