Juliana Andrade
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília – Within a few days the government will send Congress a bill on biopiracy. According to minister of Environment, Marina Silva, the bill, known as the Law of Access to Genetic Resources (Lei de Acesso a Recursos Genéticos) will make it possible to prosecute criminally.

Silva says the final details of the bill are being worked out by the ministries of Environment and Science and Technology so that it will be concluded by March in time for the 8th Biodiversity Convention (COP-8) (Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biodiversity) which Brazil will host. The conference will be in Curitiba between March 20 and 31, and is expected to have representatives from 180 countries attending.

"Brazil was one of the first countries to ratify the Biodiversity Convention. We want to continue to be pioneers in this area with this new law and action plans to protect biodiversity," said the minister, adding that present legislation in Brazil on the subject is precarious.

Translation: Allen Bennett