Lula Rules Out Ending Seguro-Defeso, Pledges Fraud Crackdown

Overview

• Lula said the government will “never” terminate the fishing closed‑season benefit and directed efforts toward removing irregular recipients.
• He called ending the program incoherent, arguing it sustains families during legally mandated no‑fishing periods that protect species reproduction.
• After detecting irregular applications last year, the Fisheries Ministry tightened eligibility rules and now requires more documents to prove fishing activity.
• A provisional measure under review in Congress links biometric data to seguro‑defeso payments as an additional anti‑fraud step.
• The benefit pays the equivalent of one monthly minimum wage, currently R$1,621, to artisanal fishers during the defeso period.