Content deleted Content added
m typo |
Aadirulez8 (talk | contribs) m v2.05 - Fix errors for CW project (Reference before punctuation - Spelling and typography - Whitespace characters after heading) |
||
| (8 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown) | |||
Line 2:
[[File:Ilha de Alcatrazes vista a distancia.jpg|alt=The largest island in the archipelago.|thumb|The largest island in the archipelago, "Alcatrazes Island"]]
'''Alcatrazes''' is a [[Brazil|Brazilian]] [[archipelago]], located some 35 km south of [[São Sebastião, São Paulo|São Sebastião]], in the northern coast of the [[São Paulo (state)|State of São Paulo]],<ref name="portalg1">{{cite web|last=Motta|first=Camilla|title=Arquipélago de Alcatrazes em São Sebastião será aberto aos turistas|url=http://g1.globo.com/sp/vale-do-paraiba-regiao/noticia/2016/08/arquipelago-de-alcatrazes-em-sao-sebastiao-sera-aberto-aos-turistas.html|work=[[G1 (website)|G1]]|publisher=[[Grupo Globo]]|access-date=3 June 2017|date=10 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="oesp">{{cite web|last=Escobar|first=Herton|title=Arquipélago dos Alcatrazes será aberto ao turismo|url=http://sustentabilidade.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,arquipelago-dos-alcatrazes-sera-aberto-ao-turismo,70001981330|work=[[O Estado de S. Paulo]]|publisher=Grupo Estado|access-date=13 September 2017|date=9 September 2017}}</ref><ref name="oespintro">{{cite web|last=Escobar|first=Herton|title=Alcatrazes - um mundo perdido no litoral paulista|url=http://infograficos.estadao.com.br/especiais/alcatrazes/|work=[[O Estado de S. Paulo]]|publisher=Grupo Estado|access-date=25 September 2017|date=18 December 2016}}</ref> one hour away by boat, approximately.<ref name="oespintro" /> It is protected by the largest marine integral conservation unit of Brazil after the [[Abrolhos Marine National Park]].<ref name="oesp" /> In 2023, it was a recipient of the Blue Park gold level award for its "exceptional conservation of marine life during the 5th International Congress of Protected Sea Areas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sosma.org.br/noticias/alcatrazes-ganha-premio-por-conservacao| title=Alcatrazes ganha prêmio por conservação|access-date= 24 December 2023|website=SOS Mata Atlântica|language=pt-BR}}</ref>
The islands have been receiving an increasing number of researchers{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=93}} and possess unparalleled importance for the [[Wildlife of Brazil|Brazilian marine biodiversity]], having more variety of fish than [[Fernando de Noronha]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Estadão|url=https://infograficos.estadao.com.br/especiais/alcatrazes/| title=Alcatrazes: um mundo perdido no litoral paulista|access-date=2023-12-24|website=Estadão|language=pt-BR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uc.socioambiental.org/pt-br/noticia/182189| title=Arquipélago dos Alcatrazes será aberto ao turismo|access-date=2023-12-24|website=Unidades de Conservação no Brasil|language=pt-br}}</ref>
== Etymology ==
The name of the archipelago comes from a bird which forms its second largest bird population, with some three thousand specimens: the [[
== Geography ==
=== Geology ===
[[File:Ilha_Alcatraz_Brazil.jpg|center|thumb|450x450px|Reproduction of a montage of pictures of the archipelago.]]
The [[geomorphology]] of Alcatrazes is characterized by sandy sediments with less [[silt]] and [[clay]].{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=37}} The archipelago consists of a [[biotite]] [[porphyritic]] granite.{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=37}}
The islands are believed to present their very current format since at least 2.5 million years ago. However, during the [[last glacial period]] (in between 85 thousand and 15 thousand years ago), the sea water was receded in such a way that the archipelago was actually a mountain still connected to the continent.<ref name="oespterra"/>
Alcatrazes is formed by five main islands. The biggest one is known as Alcatrazes Island (2.5 km long<ref name="oesp"/> with an area of {{convert|170|ha}}<ref name="oespintro"/>) and the other ones are called da Sapata, do Paredão, do Porto (or do Farol) and do Sul. There are also four unnamed islets; five lajes (Dupla, Singela, do Paredão, do Farol and Negra); and two [[Placer (geography)|placers]] (Nordeste and Sudeste). Its depth can reach
The highest point of the archipelago is the Boa Vista (or dos Alcatrazes) Peak, 316 m high.<ref name="vejasp"/> Another peak is do Oratório at 154 m.<ref name="oespintro"/> The islands' faces are marked by rocky, steep walls that can reach up to {{convert|200|m}} in height.<ref name="oespterra"/> Between the southern and eastern arms of the main island is the Saco do Funil, the most protected part of the island and the place where the [[Brazilian Navy]] used to practice shooting (see details in the "[[#History|History]]" section below).<ref name="oespterra"/>
The Farol Island, also known as Porto Island, has a 7m tall [[lighthouse]] (hence its name; "farol" is Portuguese for lighthouse).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.borestenautica.com.br/arquivos/ALCATRAZES1.pdf | title=Alcatrazes |publisher=borestenautica.com.br}}</ref>
Line 22 ⟶ 26:
=== Biodiversity ===
[[File:Bothrops_alcatraz.jpg|right|thumb|''[[Bothrops alcatraz]]'', one of the [[Endemism|endemic species]] of the archipelago.]]
Alcatrazes possesses rich fauna and flora;<ref name="portalg1"/><ref name="oesp"/><ref name="AUN2019">{{cite web |last=Santana |first=Caio |title=Arquipélago dos Alcatrazes guarda muitas descobertas para a ciência |url=http://www.usp.br/aun/index.php/2019/07/31/arquipelago-dos-alcatrazes-guarda-muitas-descobertas-para-a-ciencia/ |work=Agência Universitária de Notícias |publisher=[[Universidade de São Paulo]] |access-date=18 September 2021 |date=31 July 2019}}</ref> by December 2019, 1,3 thousand species had been registered there, 93 of which were deemed endangered and 20 were [[Endemism|endemic]],{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=14}}<ref name="jornaluspnovocoral">{{cite web |last=Escobar |first=Herton |title=Cientistas descobrem nova espécie de coral em Alcatrazes |url=https://jornal.usp.br/ciencias/cientistas-descobrem-nova-especie-de-coral-em-alcatrazes/ |work=[[Universidade de São Paulo#Jornal da USP|Jornal da USP]] |publisher=[[Universidade de São Paulo]] |access-date=9 November 2020 |date=9 December 2019}}</ref> including the ''[[Bothrops alcatraz]]'', the ''[[Scinax alcatraz]]'' and the true frog ''[[Cycloramphus faustoi]]''.<ref name="oespterra"/><ref name="oesp"/>{{sfn|Plano
Other endemic species yet to be discovered are believed to exist there, including a species of [[coral snake]] which two only known individuals were lost during the [[Instituto Butantan#2010 fire|fire at the Instituto Butantan]].<ref name="oespterra"/>
Such occurrence of endemism lead the archipelago to be nicknamed "the [[Galápagos Islands|Galápagos]] of Brazil" by some researchers,<ref name="oespintro"/> who believe [[Charles Darwin]] would have come to the same conclusions he came to in the Equatorian archipelago had he studied the fauna of Alcatrazes.<ref name="oespterra"/> As described in the sub-section "[[#Geology|Geology]]" above, the islands were for tens of thousands of years linked to the continent, which provided easy access to the place for several species. As the waters rose again and the mountains returned to their island status, the animals that were stranded there either died or adapted and evolved, giving birth to all those unique species.<ref name="oespterra"/>▼
▲Such occurrence of endemism lead the archipelago to be nicknamed "the [[Galápagos Islands|Galápagos]] of Brazil" by some researchers,<ref name="oespintro"/> who believe [[Charles Darwin]] would have come to the same conclusions he came to in the Equatorian archipelago had he studied the fauna of Alcatrazes.<ref name="oespterra"/> As described in the sub-section "[[#Geology|Geology]]" above, the islands were for tens of thousands of years linked to the continent, which provided easy access to the place for several species. As the waters rose again and the mountains returned to their island status, the animals that were stranded there either died or adapted and evolved, giving birth to all those unique species
On the main island there is the world's biggest cluster of [[frigatebird]]s' nests, with a gathering of 6,000 individuals.<ref name="oesp"/><ref name="oespintro"/> Some 10 to 20,000 birds live in the archipelago, with over 100 different confirmed species (another source speaks of 92<ref name="vejasp"/>), including endangered ones like the [[American oystercatcher]] and the [[South American tern]]<ref name="oespterra"/><ref name="vejasp"/> The colonizing expedition lead by [[Martim Afonso de Sousa]] between 1530 and 1532 already took note of bird sightings in the place, and the one lead by Luederwaldt & Fonseca in 1920 catalogued 39 additional species, of which 17 were deemed resident.{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=65}} Between the 1990s and the 2000s, further expeditions of the Alcatrazes Project raised the numbers to 103 and 37, respectively.{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=66}} 11 are considered endangered.{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=66}}
In the waters surrounding the archipelago, several species live among the [[Diploria labyrinthiformis|grooved brain corals]], including 400 species of invertebrates<ref name="oespmar">{{cite web|last=Escobar|first=Herton|title=Alcatrazes - um mundo perdido no litoral paulista (Capítulo 2: Biodiversidade marinha)|url=http://infograficos.estadao.com.br/especiais/alcatrazes/biodiversidade-marinha|work=[[O Estado de S. Paulo]]|publisher=Grupo Estado|access-date=25 September 2017|date=18 December 2016}}</ref> and between 200 and 250 species of fish, a number superior to anywhere else in Brazil,<ref name="jornaluspnovocoral"/> including the much bigger [[Fernando de Noronha]] archipelago,<ref name="oesp"/><ref name="todefolga">{{cite web |last=Soares |first=Ricardo |title=Arquipélago de Alcatrazes, em São Sebastião, é refúgio de vida silvestre |url=https://globoplay.globo.com/v/6183487/?s=0s |work=[[Jornal Hoje]] |publisher=[[Grupo Globo]] |access-date=18 September 2021 |date=29 September 2017}}</ref> with 150 species.<ref name="oespmar"/> The place is also visited by [[cetacea]]ns.<ref name="oespintro"/><ref name="oespmar"/> The not so long but also not so short distance between island and continent combined with the fact that it is located in a transition zone of warm tropical waters to colder subtropical ones make for the big diversity of fishes.<ref name="oespmar"/>▼
▲In the waters surrounding the archipelago, several species live among the [[Diploria labyrinthiformis|grooved brain corals]], including 400 species of invertebrates<ref name="oespmar">{{cite web|last=Escobar|first=Herton|title=Alcatrazes - um mundo perdido no litoral paulista (Capítulo 2: Biodiversidade marinha)|url=http://infograficos.estadao.com.br/especiais/alcatrazes/biodiversidade-marinha|work=[[O Estado de S. Paulo]]|publisher=Grupo Estado|access-date=25 September 2017|date=18 December 2016}}</ref> and between 200 and 250 species of fish,
There are other species of corals in the region, including the ''[[Ceriantheomorphe brasiliensis]]'', considered endangered.{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=79}}
18 species of butterflies and 48 of spiders,{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=64}} ten species of [[sponge]]s (including the species ''[[Latrunculia janeirensis]]'', which was previously though to be endemic to the [[Ilhas Cagarras|Cagarras Islands]]),{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=79}} 60 species of [[molluscs]],{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=82}} 59 species of [[polychaete]] (including the endangered ''[[Eurythoe complanata]]'',{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=87}} 50 species of crustaceans (this number refers to the whole ESEC Tupinambás, which includes areas close to [[Ilha Anchieta State Park|Anchieta Island]],{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=88}} 20 species of [[echinoderm]] (six deemed endangered,{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=88}} 10 species of [[bryozoa]]{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=90}} and 24 species of [[sea squirt]]s{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=91}} have been catalogued in Alcatrazes.
The sea around the islands wouldn't receive much attention until the 1990s, because diving was not yet regarded as a true scientific tool in Brazil. It was in the archipelago that such reality began to change.<ref name="oespmar"/>
Beside the Navy exercises, another threat to the local ecosystem is the sea pollution, be it from chemical dejects (which contaminate the plankton and, consequently, the whole [[food chain]] involved with it) or incorrectly disposed waste.<ref name="oespterra"/> The [[Invasive species|invasive]] [[orange cup coral]] is another risk to the local fauna. They were first detected in 2011 and, since then, they are monitored and removed so they do not become a plague, although its eradication is no longer considered possible to achieve.<ref name="oespmar"/>{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=102}} The species is native to the [[Indo-Pacific]] and first arrived in Brazil in 1990.<ref name="jornaluspnovocoral"/> In the neighboring island of Búzios, which belongs to the city of [[Ilhabela]], the coral has already caused significant damage.<ref name="jornaluspnovocoral"/>
The islands are essentially covered by the [[Atlantic Forest]], more specifically characterized by dense ombrophilous forest, but becomes more analogous to the [[cerrado]] in the higher parts. There are 130 catalogued species of plants there, including four endemic species: two begonias, one anthurium and one gloxinia, the latter is also known as "abyss queen", since it blossoms at the edge of cliffs.<ref name="vejasp"/>
=== Climate ===
Influenced by the [[South Atlantic High]], the archipelago experiences hot and humid summers and dry, moderate winters.{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=26}}
=== Oceanography ===
The waters around the archipelago present a chemical composition which favors the local ecosystem by the [[photic zone]].{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=39}}
== History ==
2,5 million years ago, Alcatrazes was a mountain covered and surrounded with Atlantic Forest, and not an island.<ref name="oespintro"/> For around 65 thousand years one could simply walk from where today lies the [[São Sebastião, São Paulo|municipality of São Sebastião]] to Alcatrazes.<ref name="oespintro"/>
Due to that, archeological remains indicate Alcatrazes was visited by pre-Columbian peoples.<ref name="o_eco">[https://www.oeco.org.br/blogs/olhar-naturalista/alcatrazes-23-anos-esperando-pelo-parque-nacional/ oeco.org.br/] ''Alcatrazes: 23 anos esperando pelo parque nacional''</ref> Its first known visitors,
With the end of the last [[ice age]], sea levels rose again and Alcatrazes was isolated from the continent.<ref name="oesphistoria"/>
After Brazil's colonization by the Portuguese, Alcatrazes's first mention comes from 1530, on [[Pero Lopes de Souza]]'s diary. Souza was one of the leaders of the first Portuguese expedition assembled to take over the new colony.<ref name="o_eco"/> Back then, the main island served as a stock-up point for their fleet. Explorers would collect fish and wood before proceeding to Southern Brazil.<ref>[https://vejasp.abril.com.br/cidades/alcatrazes-nossa-fernando-de-noronha/ vejasp.abril.com.br/] ''Alcatrazes: a nossa [[Fernando de Noronha]]''</ref>▼
▲After Brazil's colonization by the Portuguese, Alcatrazes's first mention comes from 1530, on [[Pero Lopes de Souza]]'s diary. Souza was one of the leaders of the first Portuguese expedition assembled to take over the new colony.<ref name="o_eco"/>
In the 18th century, the main island was used by fishermen and [[caiçaras]] for fisingh, shelter and [[guano]] extraction, the latter a valuable fertilizer.<ref>Kodja, G.; Gibran, F. Z.; Leite, K. L.; Moura, R.L. & Francini-Filho, R. B. 2012. Alcatrazes. Cultura Sub, São Paulo. 208 p.</ref>▼
▲In the 18th century, the main island was used by fishermen and [[caiçaras]] for
The first and only building in the island is a house possibly built in the beginning of the 20th century to provide shelter to a keeper of the archipelago.<ref name="vejasp"/> One of the first scientific expeditions to the place took place in 1915, by the São Paulo Geographic and Geological Commission.{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=22}} In 1920{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=41}} or 1922, another visit, lead by Luederwaldt & Fonseca (from the [[Museum of Zoology of the University of São Paulo]]), took place in partnership with [[Instituto Butantan]].{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=14}} In his visit, Luederwaldt registered plantations and two small harbors for fishermen.{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=23}} Among the cultivated food, there were [[avocado]], [[cassava]], [[banana]]s, [[sweet potato]], [[lima bean]], [[corn]], [[Mirabilis jalapa|marvel of Peru]], [[Ricinus|castor bean]], [[tayá]], [[sugar cane]] and [[Orange (fruit)|orange]], besides [[cotton]] - all of which are invasive species.{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=58}} In this month-long expedition, Luderwaldt collected many specimens for studies, some of which are still in the herbarium of the São Paulo Botanical Institute.{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=41}} Visits from scientists would only become more frequent in the 1980s, which is when the local flora and fauna started to be more well known;<ref name="o_eco"/> materials collected in these visits can also be found at the Institute.{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=41}} It was also in that time that, due to the creation of the Conservation Units and the restricted use by the Brazilian Navy that the preservation of the regional started to be assured and turned the archipelago in a prominent scientific research site, due to the low interference by men.{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=14}}
=== Navy exercises ===
Line 49 ⟶ 70:
Until the 1980s, the Brazilian Navy had to sail to [[Puerto Rico]] to carry out shooting sessions with its ships. The elevated costs of such trips prompted the military to search for a proper place at the Brazilian coast. They eventually came up with three potential archipelagos: Alcatrazes, Fernando de Noronha and [[Abrolhos Archipelago|Abrolhos]]. Alcatrazes was ultimately chosen due to the lower anticipated environmental impact and its proximity to Rio de Janeiro, where the fleet is kept moored.<ref name="oesphistoria">{{cite web|last=Escobar|first=Herton|title=Alcatrazes - um mundo perdido no litoral paulista (Capítulo 3: História)|url=http://infograficos.estadao.com.br/especiais/alcatrazes/historia|work=[[O Estado de S. Paulo]]|publisher=Grupo Estado|access-date=25 September 2017|date=18 December 2016}}</ref>
The shots, however, caused considerable environmental damage,{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=105}} motivating a number of lawsuits willing to cease them,<ref name="oesp"/> although some researchers admit that the military presence helped protect the islands from fishermen.<ref name="oespmar"/>
The shooting practices caused fires in the island, which impacted the local ecosystems, destroyed around 12% of the original vegetation and paved the way for the proliferation of the invasive [[Melinis minutiflora|molasses grass]], which is susceptible to more fires.{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=25}}{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=61}} Even species that are native to the island, such as the ''[[Imperata brasiliensis]]'' and the ''[[Pteridium arachnoideum]]'', demonstrated aggressive behavior in areas that suffered human interference.{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=58}}
In 1989, environmentalists concerned with the damage started to promote visits to the islands to gather as much information as possible and show the extension of the damage the Navy was causing. In doing so, they expected to convince the military to stop. Until then, the last registered trip to the archipelago dated from 1920.<ref name="oesphistoria"/>▼
▲In 1989, environmentalists concerned with the damage started to promote visits to the islands to gather as much information as possible and show the extension of the damage the Navy was causing. In doing so, they expected to convince the military to stop. Until then, the last registered trip to the archipelago dated from 1920.<ref name="oesphistoria"/>{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=25}}
At that time, the Navy promised to carry out studies of their own to determine the impact of the shots in the local ecosystem and the analysis confirmed the damage. In the meantime, then congressman Fábio Feldmann proposed a law that created the Marine National Park of Alcatrazes in 1990. The shooting exercises continued and were only interrupted between 1991 and 1998 by a court decision. In 1998, environmentalists protested with the help of [[Greenpeace]] right at one of the targets before one more exercise was carried out.<ref name="oesphistoria"/>
In 2004, one shot caused a wildfire that consumed 20 hectares of the main island's plants,{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=25}} which gave a new momentum to Feldmann's proposal, but it wasn't until 2013 that the Navy finally agreed with the creation of a park, as long as the Sapata Island (with an area of 4 hectares), to the northeast of the main island, was excluded from the park so they could keep firing there.<ref name="marinhalibera">{{cite web |last1=Escobar |first1=Herton |title=Marinha muda posição e abre caminho para criação de Parque Nacional no Arquipélago dos Alcatrazes |url=https://ciencia.estadao.com.br/blogs/herton-escobar/marinha-muda-posicao-e-abre-caminho-para-criacao-de-parque-nacional-no-arquipelago-dos-alcatrazes/ |website=[[O Estado de S. Paulo]] |publisher=[[Grupo Estado]] |accessdate=10 November 2020}}</ref> The Navy sustains that the exercises are "essential to the training of the troops and the alignment of the cannons of the fleet", and that Alcatrazes is the only proper place for such trainings. Since then, and after an environmental impact assessment conducted by a joint team of researchers from the [[Ministry of the Environment (Brazil)|Environment]] and [[Ministry of Defence (Brazil)|Defence]] Ministries, the exercises take place only once per year.<ref name="oesphistoria"/>
=== Status and preservation ===
When the Navy took over the place in the 1980s, visitation to the island was forbidden.<ref name="portalg1"/><ref name="oesp"/> Diving, even for leisure purposes, was also forbidden until 2016; it would only be allowed for special purposes, such as researching. Transgressors could be charged by the Navy with fines ranging from R$40 to R$2,200, or by [[Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation|ICMBio]], with fines ranging from R$700 to R$100,000.<ref name="portalg1"/>
Since 1987,<ref name="vejasp"/> a small part of the island was, in theory, protected by the federal government in the form of the [[Tupinambás Ecological Station]] (which also contemplated a part of the [[Ilha Anchieta State Park]]{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=18}}), although there was no personnel or resources in the archipelago to prevent it from being harmed and although that particular area was not hit by the Navy fires.<ref name="oesphistoria"/>
In March 2012, the deputy mayor of São Sebastião, Wagner Teixeira ([[Green Party (Brazil)|PV]]) was caught committing [[Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing|illegal fishing]] near the Paredão Island.<ref name="vejasp"/><ref name="wagner caught">{{cite web|last=Bedinelli|first=Talita|title=Vice-prefeito de São Sebastião é flagrado fazendo pesca ilegal; veja|url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/cotidiano/1066058-vice-prefeito-de-sao-sebastiao-e-flagrado-fazendo-pesca-ilegal-veja.shtml|publisher=[[Folha de S.Paulo|Folha.com]]|accessdate=25 March 2012|author2=Joel Silva |language=Portuguese|date=23 March 2012}}</ref> He was at his personal boat with five more men, and didn't stop until his engine ran out of oil, even with the coast guard on his tail with the sirens on.<ref name="wagner caught"/> He was carrying 116 kg of fish, including [[endangered species]], and stated he wasn't aware of the prohibition of fishing in that area.<ref name="wagner caught"/> In a later interview, he said that he only ran out of fuel after he agreed to return to the continent with the inspectors.<ref name="wagnerdef">{{cite web|title=Wagner Teixeira deixa Secretaria de Governo, fala sobre incidente durante pesca e confirma projetos políticos|url=http://www.saosebastiao.sp.gov.br/finaltemp/clipping/2012/abr/clipping_1_a_5_abril_2012.pdf|publisher=[[Imprensa Livre]]|access-date=15 February 2014|date=3 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222210024/http://www.saosebastiao.sp.gov.br/finaltemp/clipping/2012/abr/clipping_1_a_5_abril_2012.pdf|archive-date=2014-02-22|url-status=dead}}</ref> He also said he wasn't aware the area was protected and that he always fought for the archipelago's preservation.<ref name="wagnerdef"/>
In 2016, Alcatrazes received Wild Life Refuge status<ref name="jornaluspnovocoral"/><ref name="oespumano">{{cite web |last=Escobar |first=Herton |title=Aberto ao público há um ano, Alcatrazes atrai mergulhadores |url=https://sustentabilidade.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,aberto-ao-publico-ha-um-ano-alcatrazes-atrai-mergulhadores,70003117334 |work=[[O Estado de S. Paulo]] |publisher=[[Grupo Estado]] |access-date=9 November 2020 |date=9 December 2019}}</ref> and had its protection area increased so the whole archipelago is included (except for the Sapata Island, as explained in the sub-section "[[#Navy exercises|Navy exercises]]" above), totalizing 673 km<sup>2</sup><ref name="portalg1"/><ref name="oesp"/> or 67.409 hectares{{sfn|Plano de Manejo|2017|p=14}} – a size met with criticism by some environmentalists, who predict too high a cost to watch over the whole area.<ref name="oesphistoria"/> Fishing and deforesting remain forbidden, but at that time boat rides and diving were planned to be opened to the public, according to criteria to be defined in a management plan.<ref name="portalg1"/><ref name="oesp"/>
In September 2017, it was determined that the waters surrounding the islands would be, indeed, opened for boat rides and diving, but docking at the islands would not be an option due to the lack of beaches<ref name="oespintro"/><ref name="oesp"/> and other safe places for that. Visitations, which were to be exclusively promoted by companies authorized by ICMBio, were expected to begin in 2018, with the year of 2017 reserved to the preparation for the activities (registration of companies, trainings and issuing of licenses). A 60-foot boat would be installed at the island and would stay there all time to facilitate research and protection.<ref name="oesp"/> Some researchers support touristic visitation to the archipelago, sustaining that the constant presence of people may discourage illegal
In December, Alcatrazes was finally opened to the public<ref name="jornaluspnovocoral"/> for free-of-cost visitation.<ref name="oespumano"/> One year later, around a thousand people had dived in its waters, with an average 50 people/day (the local infrastructure supports up to 200
Also in December 2019, new activities were authorized, such as night diving and overnight stays.<ref name="catracanovas"/> In May 2020, ICMBio established a set of rules and prohibitions to be followed by touristic companies and visitors alike.<ref name="agenciabrregras">{{cite web |last=Rodrigues |first=Alex |title=ICMBio estabelece novas regras para visitas ao refúgio de Alcatrazes |url=https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/geral/noticia/2020-05/icmbio-estabelece-novas-regras-para-visitas-ao-refugio-de-alcatrazes |work=[[Agência Brasil]] |publisher=[[Empresa Brasil de Comunicação|EBC]] |access-date=9 November 2020 |date=22 May 2020}}</ref>
In November 2021, Educa Brasil Institute asked for the suspension of a then-imminent shooting exercise by the Brazilian Navy.<ref name="exercicio21">{{cite web |title=Ambientalistas reabrem guerra contra treino de tiro da Marinha em paraíso ecológico |url=https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/colunas/painelsa/2021/11/ambientalistas-reabrem-guerra-contra-treino-de-tiro-da-marinha-em-paraiso-ecologico.shtml |work=[[Folha de S.Paulo]] |publisher=[[Grupo Folha]] |access-date=4 January 2022 |date=21 November 2021 |language=Portuguese}}</ref> In August 2022, a new practice session was scheduled and then cancelled following a request from ICMBio, which claimed that the Navy was only authorized to practice between November-April, and only within 1km from Sapata Island.<ref name="g12022">{{cite web |title=Após críticas de ambientalistas, Marinha adia 'bombardeio' no Arquipélago de Alcatrazes, no Litoral Norte de SP |url=https://g1.globo.com/sp/vale-do-paraiba-regiao/noticia/2022/08/10/apos-criticas-de-ambientalistas-marinha-adia-bombardeio-no-arquipelago-de-alcatrazes-no-litoral-norte-de-sp.ghtml |work=[[G1 (website)|G1]] |publisher=[[Grupo Globo]] |access-date=12 September 2023 |date=10 August 2022}}</ref><ref name="cultura22">{{cite web |title=Após protestos, Marinha suspende bombardeio em ilha no arquipélago de Alcatrazes |url=https://cultura.uol.com.br/noticias/51366_apos-protestos-marinha-suspende-bombardeio-em-ilha-no-arquipelago-de-alcatrazes.html |work=[[TV Cultura]] |publisher=[[Fundação Padre Anchieta]] |access-date=12 September 2023 |date=10 August 2022}}</ref>
== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite report |author= |date= March 2017 | title= Plano de Manejo da Estação Ecológica Tupinambás e Refúgio de Vida Silvestre do Arquipélago de Alcatrazes|url= https://www.gov.br/icmbio/pt-br/assuntos/biodiversidade/unidade-de-conservacao/unidades-de-biomas/marinho/lista-de-ucs/refugio-de-alcatrazes/arquivos/plano_de_manejo_esec_tupinambas_revisarquipelogoalcatrazes_vol1.pdf|publisher=[[Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade]] |location= Brasília |access-date= 21 September 2024|ref = {{harvid|Plano de Manejo|2017}}}}
== References ==
Line 78 ⟶ 104:
== External links ==
* [https://www.icmbio.gov.br/portal/unidadesdeconservacao/biomas-brasileiros/mais-info/10213-alcatrazes Refúgio de Alcatrazes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110043804/https://www.icmbio.gov.br/portal/unidadesdeconservacao/biomas-brasileiros/mais-info/10213-alcatrazes |date=2020-11-10 }} at the [[Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade|ICMBio]] official website
* [https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/turismo/2018/12/saiba-como-foi-o-1o-mergulho-oficial-de-turistas-em-alcatrazes-no-litoral-de-sp.shtml News story about the first touristic diving session after the archipelago's reopening] at ''[[Folha de S.Paulo]]'' (in Portuguese)
| |||