2023
How we investigated Brazilian government purchases of shark meat
By Philip Jacobson, Mongabay
Panel: “Powering Journalistic Collaborations with Data”
Global Investigative Journalism Conference 2025
Kuala Lumpur, Nov. 20, 2025
MONGABAY AT A GLANCE
BEATS: Intersection of nature and people in impact geographies
STRUCTURE: 6 regional bureaus across 6 languages
TEAM: 120 staff + 1,000 contributing journalists
FORMATS: Written, video, audio
BUSINESS MODEL: Nonprofit – foundations and individual donors
DISTRIBUTION: Website, social media, third party sites
2023
2023
Shark fin trade
Shark fishing
Shark fins
Shark fin soup
2023
Source: WWF & Marine Management International. (2021). The global shark and ray meat network: A deep dive into a global affair. https://sharks.panda.org/images/downloads/392/WWF_MMI_Global_shark__ray_meat_trade_report_2021_lowres.pdf
2023
1,012
Number of shark meat (“cação”) tenders compiled in our database (2004-25)
5,400 mt
Total amount of shark meat sought in those tenders
5,900
Number of public institutions (individual schools, hospitals, prisons etc) listed as potential recipients of shark meat in those tenders
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 menus. Image courtesy of Solange Bergami.
Learn More
Contact: philip@mongabay.com
That ‘fish’ on the menu? In Brazil’s schools and prisons, it’s often shark - 29 July 2025 https://news.mongabay.com/custom-story/2025/07/that-fish-on-the-menu-in-brazils-schools-and-prisons-its-often-shark/
Revealed: Brazilian state buys endangered angelsharks for school lunches - 7 Aug 2025
Mongabay shark meat exposé sparks call for hearing and industry debate - 26 Aug 2025
How we probed a maze of websites to tally Brazilian government shark meat orders - 26 Sept 2025 https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/how-we-probed-a-maze-of-websites-to-tally-brazilian-government-shark-meat-orders/