Fisherman's Protest in Brazil Stalls Container Port

A protest by fishermen at the container shipping port of Itajai in southern Brazil has prevented several ships from entering or leaving, the local port authority said on Tuesday.

Fishermen started protesting government measures to stop fishing of endangered species on Monday, saying many of the species have commercially viable populations.

Itajai does not ship bulk grains but it is an important commercial center for frozen meat. Brazil is the world's No. 1 beef exporter.

In addition to three stalled container ships, one passenger boat and a ship that services state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA platforms have also been unable to enter Itajai, a port authority representative said.