Brazil is a country rich in genetic resources, so prone to acts of biopiracy. According to the chief prosecutor of the Amazon region in the State of Brazil, an estimated 20,000 individual samples of plants illegally removed from the country every year. Robert Smeraldi (Director of the Friends of the Earth Amazon Programme) expressed as follows: "there is widespread smuggling of genetic material by unauthorized companies. I'm not talking about respectable pharmaceutical companies being directly Involved, but I do believe they could benefit from illegal research.
"Indigenous peoples Wapishana living in the Amazon River basin along the Brazil-Guyana border have long used their knowledge of the toxic nature of the bush cunani to catch fish. When the leaf is chewed discharged into the river, the fish in the immediate vicinity reportedly jumped out of the water and soon die. The fish can be eaten directly, without any change in their taste and there are no side effects in humans.
In development, a British biochemist studied the traditional use of these plants and conduct research on the content of the bush cunani (genetic resources bush cunani) by isolating material Active from some plants that had collected. After getting the result that the active ingredient in cunani which is believed to act as a powerful stimulant to the nervous system or as an agent that can prevent penyubatan neuromuscular heart, then he registered his findings to obtain a patent in the US and Europe. Besides, he also patented the active ingredient of tipir (Greenheart tree nuts), which Wapishana tribes have long used it to block the bleeding. Currently, the efficacy of compounds produced by Tipir in preventing infection and anti-malaria is under study.
Chieftain Wapishana British biochemist accused of stealing the knowledge of their ancestors to sell it to pharmaceutical companies when it should hear about these things above. Traditional knowledge at the same time the natural resources of the bush cunani and tipit considered as part of the legacy Wapishana, was taken without payment / after extensive campaign, people Wapishana finally succeeded in overturning the patent but no patent cunani tipir. In addition, at least one head banned all future visits by researchers, whatever their purpose. In this case biochemist feel that his invention is hasi of a lifetime spent decoding ingredient in traditional Wapishana medicine. Patent is justified, he argues, the results of operations of its own intellectual
When linked to the regime of ABS (Distribution of profits (access and benefit sharing)), it can be said that the experts biokima has committed an offense regardless of any prior informent consent (approval early) and requirements concerted (Mutually Agreed Term). Biochemist considered not respect traditional knowledge on the utilization of genetic resources guarded by indigenous peoples Waphisana so that he can be said to act to enrich himself. It is said that because of the presence of the sovereign rights of a nation, then one can not take freely SDG (Genetic Resources) that exist in the area of the country concerned
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