MPF closes agreement and guarantees suspension of R$10 fee to access the beach in Bahia

The Federal Public Ministry (MPF) announced that it has reached an agreement to prevent the charging of fees for access to Ilha da Pedra Furada, located in Maraú. The region is on the Costa do Dendê, a tourist area in the lower south of the state in Bahia. The conduct adjustment term (TAC) was signed by the owner of the Union area, whose ownership is the subject of judicial discussion. The announcement was made on Wednesday (24) by the agency.

In the document, Public Prosecutor Bruno Olivo de Sales reinforced that the legislation determines that beaches are public assets for common use by the people, with free access guaranteed.

By signing the TAC, the individual undertakes not to impede free access to the local beaches by charging fees or any other condition. According to the MPF, in this sense, if the high number of visitors to the island becomes harmful, mainly due to the irregular disposal of waste, the owner will inform the agency of the situation to adopt the necessary measures to preserve the environment. Partial or total non-compliance with the agreement will result in a daily fine of R$1,000.

In a complaint made to federal prosecutors, in November 2022, a tourist reported being charged a fee to take a photo with her family at the tourist spot. At the time, according to the complainant, they were charged between R$5 and R$10 to register and access the beach.

Heard during the instruction, the individual claimed that it was a voluntary contribution to cleaning the place. In March of this year, the owner demonstrated interest in resolving the case through an agreement to be signed with the MPF.