BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil doesn't have the funding to hire more permanent environmental enforcement agents in the wake of surging Amazon fires but will contract local environmental police on a short-term basis, Environment Minister Ricardo Salles told Reuters on Friday.
The scheme will involve contracting state environmental police on their days off to assist federal government enforcement efforts, Salles said in an interview. He said the ministry aims to have a deal in place with states to allow for such a scheme to begin before next year's peak deforestation and fire season, which generally starts in May or June.