In July and August 2025, Mongabay published two investigative reports that uncovered the scale and opacity of shark meat purchases by Brazilian government institutions. These stories triggered immediate public and political responses, leading to a call for a parliamentary hearing, changes in school procurement policies, and a review of a federal ordinance that allows the sale of imported endangered shark species.
The first article published on July 29th revealed that Brazil, the world’s top importer of shark meat, is feeding much of what it buys to young children, hospital patients, military staff, public workers and more via government procurements. Some 5,900 public institutions — including homeless shelters, maternity wards, and elder care centers to name just three — were listed as possible shark meat recipients in over 1,000 government purchases. The species being acquired were nearly always unspecified, raising concerns among scientists and conservationists about the potential inclusion of endangered species.
Not only are sharks globally important for their role as a top predator in marine ecosystems, but the wide public consumption of their meat also exposes infants and other vulnerable groups in Brazil to high levels of heavy metals like mercury and arsenic, which accumulate in their flesh, and can harm human health.
Then the second article published on August 7th revealed that many tons of endangered angelshark had been purchased for public institutions in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Mongabay reporters identified 52 large purchases totaling more than 211 metric tons of “peixe anjo” (“angel fish”) – a common and misleading name for angelshark in the state – ordered by city and state administrations since 2015. Some procurement officers admitted they were unaware this label referred to a kind of shark when queried by the reporters.
As endangered species in Brazil, angelsharks can’t be caught there, but imported specimens can be traded legally. Brazil’s environmental agency, IBAMA, had already advised the environment ministry to close this exemption, which some call a loophole, but after Mongabay requested comments on past procurements, the state government and two municipal administrations said they would avoid buying angelshark in the future.
