This week several news reports appeared on the Brazilian Government official website for the Chamber of Deputies

A Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry set up by the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies to investigate the trade in Brazilian flora and fauna has been in session since November 2002. This week several news reports appeared on the Brazilian Government official website for the Chamber of Deputies. I have summarised them in English on the news page and posted the original full Portuguese text to a separate website page. The final report of the Commission is expected shortly. I believe important issues about the value of eco-tourism to conservation have been raised. There are unscrupulous operators out there as well as excellent ones. Among the unscrupulous there are those who just simply fleece tourists and others who use eco-tourism to cover other nefarious activities.