Brasília, 4/8/2004(Agência Brasil) - In 2003, an area of 23,750 square kilometers in the Amazon rainforest was destroyed. According to the minister of Environment, Marina Silva, that is "very alarming," but she also notes that there has been a slowdown in the destruction. The area destroyed in 2003 is only 2% larger than in 2002, which was 28% larger than in 2001.

Silva announced that this year controls will be much more rigid, involving a concerted action by a total of 13 ministries, and should have positive results. "In 2003 we made structural adjustments. This year we have a broad plan to halt Amazon deforestation," she said.

The minister announced that last year operations by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ibama) were limited to four inspection bases in the Amazon. This year they will have nineteen bases located in critical areas.

Marina Silva explained that the government was now using satellite images to monitor the Amazon region. The Space Research Institute (Inpe), which controls the images, reports that it has found a surge in deforestation activities (up 57%) on Indian reservation areas. (Translator: Allen Bennett)