PROTECT BRAZIL’S SHARKS

Take Action to Save Endangered Sharks

Public institutions in Brazil including schools, hospitals, and prisons are serving shark meat linked to endangered species, illegal fishing, and toxic contamination. This practice puts children and vulnerable populations at risk and accelerates the global decline of sharks.

In Collaboration Sea Shepherd Brazil

shark meat being served at a school in Brazil

Every other Monday is cação day at a school in Duque de Caxias, where some are pushing the city to remove shark meat from school meals.
Images courtesy of Solange Bergami, Mongabay.

What This Petition Demands:

We urge the following authorities:

  • National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA)
  • The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA)
  • The Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA)

To immediately: suspend the procurement and serving of shark meat in all public institutions.

To ensure the problem does not reoccur, we also call for:

  • Shark-specific toxic metal limits aligned with WHO recommendations.
  • Transparent, species-level labeling of all shark products.
Shark meat on sale in Brazil is labeled as cação

Shark meat on sale in Brazil is labeled as cação, a generic term whose true meaning is unknown to most Brazilians, surveys show. Image by Philip Jacobson/Mongabay.

What’s the Issue?

Brazil is currently reported as the world’s largest consumer and importer of shark meat. Much of this meat is sold under the misleading label cação, which hides the fact that consumers, including children, are eating sharks.

Because shark products are rarely identified at the species level:

  • Endangered and protected species enter public supply chains.
  • Illegal fishing goes undetected.
  • Consumers are denied informed consent.

Are Shark Meats Dangerous To Eat ?

Yes. Sharks are long-lived predators accumulating dangerous levels of metals including:

  • Mercury
  • Lead
  • Arsenic
  • Cadmium
  • Arsenic
  • Persistent Industrial Pollutants

These toxins are suspected or known to be carcinogens or neurotoxins and are linked to :

  • Nervous and cardiovascular system damage
  • Impair cognitive and psychomotor development
  • Reduce IQ and learning difficulties
  • Cancer and organ damage (skin, liver, kidney)
  • Serious birth defects
  • Neurodevelopmental harm even at low levels (mercury and lead)

There is no completely safe level of exposure to mercury or lead, especially for children, pregnant people, and vulnerable populations. Yet shark meat continues to be served in public institutions without disclosure or choice breaching: Brazil’s Consumer Defense Code, constitutional rights to health and adequate food (Articles 3, 5, 6, 196, and 227 of the Federal Constitution), and international human rights obligations.

Environmental Impact: Endangered Sharks and Illegal Trade

Sharks are vital apex predators that maintain healthy ocean ecosystems and global biodiversity. However, endangered shark and ray species continue to enter Brazil’s cação (shark meat) supply chain, including species protected under Ordinance No. 445/2014, such as hammerhead sharks, angel sharks, and guitarfishes.

Mislabeling and weak traceability systems allow protected species to be sold illegally, accelerating biodiversity loss and undermining conservation laws. This lack of transparency conflicts with Brazil’s international commitments under CITES, CMS, and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Stronger monitoring, labeling, and enforcement are urgently needed to protect sharks and ensure sustainable fisheries.

Evidence of Systemic Harm

  • 5,400+ tons of shark meat supplied to public institutions in at least 10 Brazilian states.
  • Nearly 6,000 institutions purchased shark meat (90% public schools, including over 1,100 nurseries and preschools).
  • In Paraná alone, a state in Brazil: 600 metric tons to 2,250 public schools.
  • 40% of blue shark samples exceeded Brazil’s mercury limit, some reaching 2.4 mg/kg.
  • 69% of Brazilians did not know that cação is shark.
  • Since 2015, state and city administrations have made 52 public purchases totaling over 211 metric tons of peixe-anjo (angelshark), an endangered species.
  • 83% of shark species sold in Brazil are at risk of extinction (IUCN list).
  • The blue shark (Prionace glauca), Brazil’s most consumed shark, is extremely vulnerable due to uncontrolled fishing.

Learn more about Brazil’s Shark Laws

  • Major Threats to Sharks in Brazilian Waters
  • Overfishing and the Shark Meat Trade
  • Bycatch and Illegal landing practices
  • Frequently Asked Questions About Sharks in Brazil
Brazil’s Shark Laws and Resource Guide

Written and created by Xenia Anagnostou, Shark Angels Intern and University of Plymouth 2025 Graduate, Masters in Marine Conservation.