The Laje Viva Institute

The Laje Viva Institute was born from the indignation of a group of divers towards illegal fishing that, unfortunately, is a reality in the Laje de Santos Marine State Park. One day, in a diving discussion email group, someone mentioned that they had spotted boats fishing at the Laje site, during the weekend, while people were diving. Enraged, protesting, thes person "shouted" in the list: We have to do something.

From this point on, a few divers decided to meet and start to take action. We had a clear objective: "Protect Laje de Santos from fishing and hunting".

On July 1^st, 1993, we founded the Laje Viva Institute, a non-profit organization with the objective of implementing actions that guaranttee the preservation and protection of the Laje de Santos Marine State Park (PEMLS).

Objectives

The Institute, while an association of environmentalist caracter, has as its main purpose and objective implementing its own actions and to develop third party actions in association with government institutions to guarantee the preservation and protection of the Laje de Santos Marine State Park, specially but not limited, throught

I. Erradication of fishing, in any way or form, within the boundaries of the park, being it pole fishing, net fishing, sea hunting or any other form of fishing;

II. Promote and Encourage fiscalization against any and all illegal activities within the boundaries of the park, documenting such activities and identifying responsible parties and submitting these facts to the knowledge of the propper public officials responsible for taking action in order to punish such activities;

III. Promote environmental education with the objective of preventing any illegal activity that might occur within the boundaries of the park;

IV. Develop projects and field studies in scientific form, mainly through:

• Studying the endemic biodiversity, both bentonic and pelagic, identifying and cataloging species and its populations;
   
• Periodical assessment of individual populations and groups of each species, identifying declining species and recuperating their populations;
   
• Studying the pelagic fauna, identifying its origins, destins and their relations withLaje de Santos;
   
• Studies regarding the behavior of humans visiting the park, with the purpose of providing them with information and clarification on how to minimize the impact that they might have on the park;
   
• Participation in projects and initiatives, both public or private, that objective the aproximation and contact with the public, marketing the institute, and other activities with social objectives.
   

V. Regarding the creation and maintenance of a website where the following actions will be performed:

• Gather and divulge information related to the life and preservation of the park;
   
• Gather reports refferring to illegal activities and practices within the boundaries of the park;
   
• Market and distribute materials created with the objective of enlighting the public and reducing the impact of human contact with the park’s environment;
   
• Market the actions of the Laje Viva Institute, fomenting the participation of students, biologists, divers, turism and diver operators, among other individuals and society branches that could constribute with the Institute´s social objectives;