The country’s new president, Lula, has previously promised to reverse the environmental destruction that started during Jair Bolsonaro’s rule.
Brazil has sunk a decommissioned aircraft carrier in the sea, despite environmental groups saying it contained toxic materials.
The Navy described the sinking as planned and controlled. The ship was sunk on Friday in the Atlantic Ocean about 350 kilometers from the coast of Brazil. According to the navy, the estimated depth in the area is about 5,000 meters.
Attempts had been made to find a host port for the approximately sixty-year-old ship, but without success. In the end, it was decided to scuttle the ship, and the intentions were announced on Thursday.
The defense authorities said in advance that they would scuttle the ship in the safest possible area. However, environmental activists criticized the decision and emphasized that the aircraft carrier contained significant amounts of asbestos, heavy metals and other toxic materials that could wash into the waters and contaminate the food chain.
The Basel Action Network had called for the president of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to stop the dangerous plan immediately. Lula, who came to power last month, has promised, among other things, to cancel his predecessor, the right-wing populist Jair Bolsonarothe environmental destruction unleashed during
Authorities: better to sink than let sink
According to the Brazilian authorities, it was better to sink the ship on purpose than to let it sink on its own.
According to the navy, the selection of the sinking site had considered the safety of both seafaring and the environment, and efforts had been made to mitigate the effects on public health, fishing activities and ecosystems.
According to the Brazilian G1 news site, efforts were made to prevent the sinking of the ship at the last minute also through the courts, but the judge decided against this. The judge estimated that the unplanned sinking of the ship could be an even greater risk to the environment and the crews of other ships. According to G1, the judge called the situation tragic and regrettable.
Last year, Brazil gave a Turkish company permission to dismantle the ship into scrap metal. Turkish environmental authorities blocked the efforts in August, just as the ship was about to be taken to the Mediterranean.
After this, Brazil bought the ship back, but did not let it into port. The decision was justified by the high threat to the environment.
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