AMAZONAS, BRAZIL - Around 26 tons of illegal fish were seized aboard a vessel in Coari, in the interior of the Amazon region. According to the Military Police, the cargo consisted of 25 tons of pirarucu and one ton of jaraqui.

The fish were found on the vessel Sonho Meu, which had departed from Tefé and was heading to Manaus. According to the Amazonas State Secretariat of Public Security (SSP-AM), the seized cargo is valued at approximately R$234,000.

The person responsible for the vessel, a 30-year-old man, was charged with an environmental crime.

Part of the seized fish was donated for social assistance efforts. A total of 8.5 tons were distributed to communities in Coari, while the remainder was handed over to the Municipal Secretariat of Social Services.

According to SSP-AM, the seizure reinforces the work carried out by Base Arpão 2 in combating environmental crimes in the region. The agency also highlighted that illegal fishing threatens important species such as pirarucu and jaraqui, which play a fundamental role in the environmental balance and local economy.