Several government agencies in southern Brazil have said they will stop ordering angelshark meat for public meal programs, in response to a Mongabay investigation that highlighted the widespread consumption of the threatened species. Shark meat is often served in public schools, hospitals and other institutions due to its low cost and lack of bones. The Mongabay investigation revealed that the generic class of shark included angelsharks, a group with one endangered and two critically endangered species that inhabit the coast off Brazil. At least 52 procurements to purchase peixe anjo, a local common name for angelshark, were issued in the state of Rio Grande do Sul between 2015 and 2025. The total volume purchased is difficult to ascertain, as the investigation didn’t check procurements for every city and state in the country and not every procurement goes on to be fulfilled. Mongabay journalists Fernanda Wenzel and Philip Jacobson reached out to several municipalities for comment and found that many authorities reacted with shock. Some said they didn’t know that the local trade name referred to some of the world’s most threatened sharks. Others pledged to end the practice. “I was shocked by this,” Cristina Luft, the nutritionist responsible for school meals in Alto Feliz, told Mongabay. The municipality had purchased 943 kilograms (2,078 pounds) over three years, Luft said, but would not order more. “In our next round of purchasing, there definitely won’t be any peixe anjo.” The Rio Grande do Sul state government also pledged to remove angelshark from…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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