Pará adopts new regulation to integrate wildlife management into environmental licensing

On 1 October 2025, the state of Pará enacted Normative Instruction (IN) 5/2025, a regulatory milestone that reshapes the procedures governing in situ wildlife management within environmental licensing processes. Officially published on 3 October, the measure encompasses wildlife inventory, monitoring, deterrence, rescue and release operations, including in areas where vegetation clearing is authorised as part of activities with potential polluting or degrading impacts.

The following sections outline the scope of this regulation, its origins, the implications for environmental services, and the ways in which Green Forest – Environmental Projects and Services can support organisations in achieving compliance.

What IN 5/2025 is — and why it matters

The Normative Instruction establishes “procedures for requesting authorisation for the in situ management of wildlife for purposes of wildlife inventory, monitoring, deterrence, rescue and salvage, including in areas of vegetation suppression linked to environmental licensing processes for potentially polluting or degrading activities within the State of Pará.”

In more accessible terms: whenever an enterprise — such as an infrastructure project, agro-industrial operation or vegetation suppression activity — is to be carried out in an area where wildlife may be affected, and interventions in the natural environment are anticipated, authorisation for in situ wildlife management (that is, field-based capture, rescue, release, monitoring and related actions) must now adhere to the new requirements set out in this regulation.

Key provisions include:

• A formal definition of “in situ wildlife management” as a set of interventionist or non-interventionist methods required to identify and assess local wildlife, mitigate impacts during vegetation suppression and conduct capture, rescue, collection, salvage and final allocation of animals.

• Distinct categories of authorisation, including wildlife inventory, deterrence/rescue/salvage during vegetation suppression, and wildlife monitoring (including roadkill monitoring).

• Rigorous documentation requirements: online forms, fee payments, technical responsibility annotations (ART), registration with CTDAM (SEMAS) and CTF/AIDA (IBAMA), and a Work Plan aligned with the annexes of the IN.

• Defined validity periods for each type of authorisation, such as a one-year term renewable for up to two years for wildlife inventories, and up to five years for wildlife monitoring or for the duration of the corresponding environmental licence.

  
  

In sum, the IN strengthens the requirement that wildlife be treated as a central, technically substantiated component of environmental licensing—not a peripheral consideration but an integrated element supported by plans, qualified professionals and annual reporting.

How the regulation emerged

The publication of IN 5/2025 is not an isolated development. It forms part of a broader trend in Brazilian states to reinforce environmental governance instruments and to recognise wildlife as a critical dimension of projects that interact with natural ecosystems.

In Pará, the regulation draws from a legal framework that includes the State Constitution, federal environmental legislation (such as Laws 6.938/81 and 9.605/98) and State Law 5.977/96—all referenced in the introductory section of the IN. (SEMAS/PA)

Moreover, the standardisation of licensing procedures, coupled with growing demands for transparency, predictability and technical rigour in projects affecting wildlife, has contributed to the regulatory impetus. Environmental consultancies and companies increasingly acknowledge that wildlife management—not only flora or water resources—requires specialised protocols, qualified professionals, periodic reports and continuous technical oversight. IN 5/2025 emerges as an institutional response to that need.

Implications for environmental services and enterprises

The implementation of IN 5/2025 brings concrete impacts for organisations operating in environmental services or conducting projects in Pará. Among the most consequential effects:

1. Expanded technical requirementsEnterprises previously focused primarily on vegetation analysis or flora surveys must now integrate wildlife considerations more comprehensively. This includes pre-licensing wildlife inventories, multi-year monitoring and the submission of annual technical reports. The regulation explicitly states that the wildlife inventory “shall necessarily precede any other activity related to the environmental licensing process, including the Rural Activity Licence (LAR).” (SEMAS/PA)

2. Higher compliance complexity and operational costsAdditional procedures, documentation, specialist involvement (biologists, veterinarians, CRBio/CRMV-registered professionals) and clearer deadlines may increase operational costs and lengthen the authorisation process, requiring more detailed planning.

3. Heightened regulatory riskFailure to comply with deadlines or annual reporting obligations may lead to suspension or cancellation of the authorisation. The regulation specifies that the validity of authorisations depends on “payment of annual environmental fees, submission of activity reports and technical review by SEMAS.” (SEMAS/PA)

4. New opportunities for specialised servicesConsultancies with expertise in wildlife management stand to benefit, as enterprises seek support for developing Work Plans, conducting inventories, implementing monitoring programmes and liaising with regulatory authorities.

   
   

How Green Forest can support compliance

Green Forest – Environmental Projects and Services is positioned to provide comprehensive assistance with the requirements introduced by IN 5/2025:

• Preparation of in situ wildlife management plans, including inventories, deterrence/rescue operations and monitoring, in accordance with the IN’s annexes.

• Technical-legal support through a team of CRBio-registered biologists and associated veterinary professionals.

• Assistance with electronic forms, technical responsibility annotations, and CTDAM/CTF registrations to enable formal submission to SEMAS.

• Execution of pre-licensing wildlife inventories, data collection, multi-year monitoring and preparation of mandatory annual reports.

• Advisory support integrating fauna, flora, soil and water considerations to ensure cohesive environmental licensing strategies.

• Internal training and capacity-building for enterprise teams to understand deadlines, obligations and best practices in wildlife management.

  
  

In essence, Green Forest functions as an operational and technical bridge between enterprises and environmental authorities, facilitating compliance, reducing risk and ensuring that in situ management is undertaken with scientific robustness and legal validity.

Broader regulatory reflections

IN 5/2025 is part of a growing and increasingly structured regulatory landscape within SEMAS/PA. As highlighted in “Legislative Alert No. 186/2025” issued by the Attorney General’s Office of Pará (PGE), the instruction is considered a significant normative instrument.

For enterprises operating in Pará, the regulation establishes not only what is permissible but also the minimum procedural standards expected in licensing processes. Emerging trends include:

• The requirement for wildlife conservation plans (Article 11 of the IN) as integral components of environmental studies.

• The consolidation of wildlife as a central axis of environmental assessment, integrated with vegetation suppression and long-term monitoring.

• The possibility that the model may be replicated across other environmental sectors or states as regulatory expectations evolve.

  
  

Beyond Pará, IN 5/2025 may serve as a benchmark for environmental governance, signalling the direction of upcoming reforms elsewhere.

In conclusion

The enactment of Normative Instruction 5/2025 marks a substantial advancement in environmental licensing for projects involving wildlife in Pará. It demands methodological rigour, qualified oversight, clear timelines and continuous reporting, ensuring that fauna is treated as an essential environmental component.

For organisations seeking to avoid delays, mitigate legal and financial risks and ensure full compliance with the new requirements, partnership with a specialised consultancy is key. Green Forest – Environmental Projects and Services stands ready to support enterprises from planning to execution, delivering technical assurance and regulatory security.

Source

• Instrução Normativa SEMAS Nº 5, de 01 de Outubro de 2025. Disponível no portal da SEMAS/PA. Sema Pará+2Sema Pará+2

• LegislWeb. “INSTRUÇÃO NORMATIVA SEMAS Nº 5 DE 01/10/2025 – Estadual”. Legisweb

• Procuradoria-Geral do Estado do Pará. “Alerta Legislativo Nº 186/2025”. PGE