The Control of Flora and Aquatic Fauna by CONAMA Resolution 467: Considerations on Brazilian Regulation

Abstract

The monitoring and management of aquatic organisms is critical to ensure the sustainability of freshwater bodies, particularly the reservoirs. There are regulations related to mandatory monitoring of some aquatic organisms in Brazil, especially cyanobacteria and coliforms, but not of macrophytes. Monitoring and management plans are both required, respectively, to track changes in water and sediment quality and to plan actions to ensure the reservoir’s current and future quality. This paper aims to present a critical analysis of the aquatic organisms’ management proposal stated by CONAMA Resolution 467 (July 17, 2015). This Resolution states about criteria for the authorization of the use of products or physical, chemical or biological agents on water bodies’ surface to control pollution and the extreme growth of flora and fauna organisms, and other measures. Among other considerations, based on the presented analysis, it is concluded that this Resolution reinforces biota management through the use of chemical compounds, in a continuous vicious cycle of management and recurrent uncontrolled growth of organisms, since it does not state preventive and self-sustaining management, for instance, through sewage collection and treatment. Such measure would deal with the main causes of nutrients input and eutrophication, consequently, of explosive growth of algae and macrophytes.