The digital influencer Carlinhos Maia was fined by ICMBio (Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation) and fined R$1 million for environmental infraction in the APA (Environmental Protection Area) by Fernando de Noronha. The information was released this Monday (13) by ICMBio-Noronha.
According to the agency, the infraction notice was drawn up after a complaint about videos published on the influencer’s Instagram profile. The case occurred on October 4, 2025.
The images showed seabirds of the Fregata Magnificens species being fed with barbecue meat during a boat trip. The practice, according to ICMBio, is prohibited by the conservation unit’s Management Plan.
The institute states that feeding wild animals with items outside their natural diet can cause damage to the animals’ health, alter their behavior and impact the ecological balance of the region. Other people who had directly fed the birds were also charged, based on Article 90 of Federal Decree No. 6,514/2008. The dissemination of the images was covered by Article 33 of the same decree.
The fine applied to the influencer was set at the maximum amount foreseen for the classification. According to ICMBio, the definition took into account the severity of the infraction, the environmental relevance of the area, the wide circulation of content on social networks and the economic capacity of the defendant. The agency also reported that the case was reported to the Federal Public Ministry and that the influencer was notified to present an administrative defense.
On social media, Carlinhos Maia contested the assessment and stated that he did not feed the animals. According to him, the episode occurred during a boat trip in Fernando de Noronha, when other people had offered food to the birds.
In videos published on Instagram, the influencer reported that, during the tour, birds accompanied the vessel and that “the people who were with me got excited and gave, I don’t know, a piece of shrimp to one of the birds there”, adding that he only recorded the moment on video.
The influencer also said that he was informed that the situation could result in a fine, but disputed the amount applied. “Now comes the most absurd part I’ve ever seen in my entire life: a lawsuit came to me asking for one million reais,” he said. He stated that the penalty would be disproportionate and compared it to other environmental fines. “Obviously, it’s okay to receive a fine, normal, like they give everyone there, but a million reais, my friend…”
Carlinhos Maia also stated that he intends to appeal the decision and criticized the agency’s actions. “We processed it back because it’s not possible,” he said.
ICMBio informed that the defendant can present an administrative defense and that the case is still being analyzed at the administrative level and at the Federal Public Ministry.
