Decree No. 12.481 creating the National Maritime Policy.

This Decree creates the National Maritime Policy (PMN), to be implemented in a coordinated manner by federal government agencies and entities. The PMN covers activities related to the use of the: sea, seabed, and subsoil contained in the Atlantic extension that projects from the coastline to the outer limit of the Brazilian continental shelf; coastal and oceanic islands; inland waters, as provided for in art. 3, of Law No. 9.966 of 28 April 2000; and other maritime and marine areas of national interest. The objectives of the PMN are: ensure the exercise of Brazilian sovereignty and to curb illegal acts and threats in specific areas; strengthen the country's position as an influential maritime actor on the international stage, particularly in the South Atlantic; increase maritime security in the areas provided for in Article 2; disseminate and encourage knowledge about the importance of the sea, the coastal zone, river and lake environments, and the blue economy for national development; stimulate the competitiveness of the Brazilian-flagged merchant fleet and the participation of Brazilian labour, including women, in activities carried out in marine, coastal, or riverine environments; promote the maritime industrial park in the sectors of construction, maintenance, repair, conversion, modernization, and dismantling of vessels and structures; stimulate scientific and technological research and innovation in the marine and maritime fields; encourage the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and marine, coastal, and riverine ecosystems; promote the integration of actions for the economic use of living and non-living marine, coastal, and riverine resources, in a manner compatible with the principles of sustainable development; promote tourism, social, sports, recreational, and cultural activities that value the use of the sea and inland waters in a sustainable manner and associated with entrepreneurship and employability.