Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries.
The country best known for samba and soybeans has quietly become the world’s largest importer of shark meat. A recent investigation by Mongabay’s Philip Jacobson, Karla Mendes and Kuang Keng Kuek Ser reveals the extent to which this flesh, sold generically as cação, has infiltrated Brazil’s public institutions. Over two decades, at least 5,400 metric tons of shark meat were procured for government facilities including 5,391 schools, more than 1,100 of which cater to infants and toddlers. Other recipients include prisons, hospitals, military bases, and even maternity wards.
What’s troubling is not just the volume but the obfuscation. Brazilians consuming cação are rarely informed they’re eating shark, let alone which species. Almost all procurement records lack species-specific labeling. This is more than semantic negligence: It risks fueling the illegal trade in threatened species. With 16 of 31 oceanic shark and ray species classified as threatened, and blue sharks — the trade’s apparent mainstay — listed as near threatened, lax procurement may be hastening ecological collapse.
The public health implications are equally severe. Sharks, being apex predators, bioaccumulate heavy metals like mercury and arsenic. Yet, in Brazil, shark meat is regularly served to some of the most vulnerable citizens — young children, the elderly, and pregnant women — without mandatory contaminant testing. A feeding guide from the Ministry of Health even recommends cação for infants under 2, citing its lack of bones, but ignoring toxicity concerns. Some municipal nutritionists cite choking hazards to justify its inclusion; critics argue this logic prioritizes convenience over safety.
Culturally, shark meat has shifted from niche coastal fare to mass-market staple. Import volumes soared in the 2000s, partly as an unintended consequence of shark finning bans. Previously discarded carcasses had to be landed; Brazil, with a population of 212 million and widespread poverty, became an easy market. Institutional purchases under anti-hunger policies created steady demand, solidifying a market that now spans more than 200 suppliers and dozens of brands.
Some municipalities have begun to push back. São Paulo canceled a major procurement after public outcry. Paraná state now requires species-level labeling. But most of the country remains unaware. As long as cação remains both ubiquitous and ambiguous, Brazil’s public institutions may continue serving up a toxic dish — hidden in plain sight.
Read the full investigation by Philip Jacobson, Karla Mendes and Kuang Keng Kuek Ser here.
Banner image: 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.
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