<p>The source of large blots of oil staining more than 130 beaches in northeastern Brazil remained a mystery Tuesday despite President Jair Bolsonaro's assertions they came from outside the country and were possibly the work of criminals.</p>.<p>Tamar, a group dedicated to the protection of sea turtles, said the oil spill was "the worst environmental tragedy" it has encountered since its formation in 1980.</p>.<p>The patches of oil began appearing in early September and have now turned up along a 2,000 kilometre (1,200 miles) stretch of Atlantic coastline.</p>.<p>"We are not in the presence of a constant leak. If it is the result of a shipwrecked oil tanker, the leaks will continue for the moment," Bolsonaro told a news conference in Brasilia.</p>.<p>"It appears to be criminal. This oil could have been dumped at sea."</p>.<p>Environment Minister Ricardo Salles, appearing alongside Bolsonaro, said the government's priority is "to act quickly to remove what is on land and to deepen the investigation to find the origin."</p>.<p>On Monday, Salles said after visiting the affected areas that more than 100 tonnes of oil have been removed from the beaches in the northeast.</p>.<p><strong>Read:</strong> <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/over-100-tons-of-oil-spills-found-on-coast-brazil-766928.html" target="_blank">Over 100 tons of oil spills found on coast: Brazil</a></p>.<p>State oil company Petrobras, which is taking part in the cleanup, said its analysis determined that the oil was neither produced nor marketed by the company.</p>.<p>The patches of oil have been detected in all nine states of northeastern Brazil, a poor region known for the beauty of its beaches and whose economy depends on tourism.</p>.<p>On Saturday, Bolsonaro ordered a swift investigation to "establish the causes and determine the responsibilities" for the spilled oil. The federal police announced last week that they were investigating the spills as an "environmental crime."</p>.<p>Monday evening, Bolsonaro said Brazilian authorities had identified a country that the oil could have come from, but he did not name it.</p>.<p>Citing a confidential report, the daily Folha de Sao Paulo revealed that analysis by Petrobras showed the oil could have come from Venezuela.</p>.<p>But Bolsonaro refrained from singling out Brazil's South American neighbour.</p>.<p>Bolsonaro has been a vocal critic of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and relations between the two countries are strained.</p>.<p>Bolsonaro has also lashed out at international critics who blamed him for massive forest fires in the Amazon basin in August and a broader failure to protect the world's largest tropical forest.</p>.<p>Regardless of the source of oil pollution, the government did not respond to the situation until last week.</p>.<p>"The government took too much time in reacting," said biologist Mario Moscatelli, who said coastal ecosystems -- the beaches, mangroves and coral reefs -- are particularly vulnerable to oil spills.</p>.<p>"It's fundamental that those responsible be identified and that they pay for the damage, environmental as well as economic," he said.</p>.<p>"Without a firm reaction, this kind of episode could happen again," he said.</p>
<p>The source of large blots of oil staining more than 130 beaches in northeastern Brazil remained a mystery Tuesday despite President Jair Bolsonaro's assertions they came from outside the country and were possibly the work of criminals.</p>.<p>Tamar, a group dedicated to the protection of sea turtles, said the oil spill was "the worst environmental tragedy" it has encountered since its formation in 1980.</p>.<p>The patches of oil began appearing in early September and have now turned up along a 2,000 kilometre (1,200 miles) stretch of Atlantic coastline.</p>.<p>"We are not in the presence of a constant leak. If it is the result of a shipwrecked oil tanker, the leaks will continue for the moment," Bolsonaro told a news conference in Brasilia.</p>.<p>"It appears to be criminal. This oil could have been dumped at sea."</p>.<p>Environment Minister Ricardo Salles, appearing alongside Bolsonaro, said the government's priority is "to act quickly to remove what is on land and to deepen the investigation to find the origin."</p>.<p>On Monday, Salles said after visiting the affected areas that more than 100 tonnes of oil have been removed from the beaches in the northeast.</p>.<p><strong>Read:</strong> <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/over-100-tons-of-oil-spills-found-on-coast-brazil-766928.html" target="_blank">Over 100 tons of oil spills found on coast: Brazil</a></p>.<p>State oil company Petrobras, which is taking part in the cleanup, said its analysis determined that the oil was neither produced nor marketed by the company.</p>.<p>The patches of oil have been detected in all nine states of northeastern Brazil, a poor region known for the beauty of its beaches and whose economy depends on tourism.</p>.<p>On Saturday, Bolsonaro ordered a swift investigation to "establish the causes and determine the responsibilities" for the spilled oil. The federal police announced last week that they were investigating the spills as an "environmental crime."</p>.<p>Monday evening, Bolsonaro said Brazilian authorities had identified a country that the oil could have come from, but he did not name it.</p>.<p>Citing a confidential report, the daily Folha de Sao Paulo revealed that analysis by Petrobras showed the oil could have come from Venezuela.</p>.<p>But Bolsonaro refrained from singling out Brazil's South American neighbour.</p>.<p>Bolsonaro has been a vocal critic of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and relations between the two countries are strained.</p>.<p>Bolsonaro has also lashed out at international critics who blamed him for massive forest fires in the Amazon basin in August and a broader failure to protect the world's largest tropical forest.</p>.<p>Regardless of the source of oil pollution, the government did not respond to the situation until last week.</p>.<p>"The government took too much time in reacting," said biologist Mario Moscatelli, who said coastal ecosystems -- the beaches, mangroves and coral reefs -- are particularly vulnerable to oil spills.</p>.<p>"It's fundamental that those responsible be identified and that they pay for the damage, environmental as well as economic," he said.</p>.<p>"Without a firm reaction, this kind of episode could happen again," he said.</p>