# Brazil revises environmental licensing rules for aquaculture

> Brazil’s environment council has published rules that classify aquaculture projects by annual production scale and link each size category to a licensing route.

- Canonical URL: https://newsverum.com/en/news/brazil-aquaculture-environmental-licensing-rules-2026
- Publisher: Newsverum
- Section: Agriculture
- Country: Brazil
- Published: 2026-10-18T19:46:03+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-18T19:46:03+00:00
- Event / data period: 2026-10-16
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The National Environment Council (Conama) published Resolution 517/2026 on October 16, updating Brazil’s 2009 aquaculture licensing framework. The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture described the change in a release posted on October 17, saying projects will be classified by production scale.

Under the framework, small projects may qualify for a Licence by Adherence and Commitment, medium projects for a Single Environmental Licence, and large projects for ordinary licensing. The resolution says that raising exotic, nonnative or hybrid species does not by itself change the licensing route; safeguards to prevent escapes and support biosecurity remain part of the rules.

## Data

### Aquaculture licensing routes

Size categories and routes described by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Methodology: Categorical transcription of the ministry release; no numeric production thresholds have been added.

| Project size | Licence route |
|---|---|
| Small | Licence by Adherence and Commitment (LAC) |
| Medium | Single Environmental Licence (LAU) |
| Large | Ordinary licensing |

Sources: <https://www.gov.br/mpa/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/novas-regras-para-licenciamento-ambiental-da-aquicultura/> · Download data: [JSON](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/brazil-aquaculture-environmental-licensing-rules-2026/data/aquaculture-licensing-categories?lang=en&format=json) · [CSV](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/brazil-aquaculture-environmental-licensing-rules-2026/data/aquaculture-licensing-categories?lang=en&format=csv)

## Sources

- [Brazil Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture](<https://www.gov.br/mpa/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/novas-regras-para-licenciamento-ambiental-da-aquicultura/>) (Source checked: 2026-10-18; Published: 2026-10-17)

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