{"id":3174,"date":"2026-04-07T14:59:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T14:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/?p=3174"},"modified":"2026-04-09T16:23:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T16:23:08","slug":"latin-americas-largest-hospital-complex-cancels-plan-to-buy-shark-meat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/?p=3174","title":{"rendered":"Latin America&#8217;s largest hospital complex cancels plan to buy shark meat"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-317005\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>Last month saw a series of new policy developments for sharks in Brazil.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Brazil\u2019s biggest hospital complex said it would strike shark meat from a planned 2026 procurement, though the boneless fish could still be served at some of its institutes.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>The environment agency issued a host of new rules, including a ban on shark fins detached from the carcass, drawing ire from industry groups.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>A court ruled that federal procurements of shark meat for public institutions must meet new species labeling and traceability requirements.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"content-expander\"><span>See All Key Ideas<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The University of S\u00e3o Paulo Medical School Hospital said it would cancel a plan to buy more than 17 metric tons of shark meat as part of a 2026 procurement, citing concerns over heavy metals.<\/p>\n<p>HCFMUSP is the largest public hospital complex in Latin America. It consists of at least eight institutes in S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil\u2019s largest city, including a world-renowned heart center serving hundreds of thousands of patients annually.<\/p>\n<p>Brazil is the world\u2019s top consumer of shark meat. A <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/custom-story\/2025\/07\/that-fish-on-the-menu-in-brazils-schools-and-prisons-its-often-shark\/?_thumbnail_id=303243\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">2025 investigation<\/a> by Mongabay found that government purchases are a significant driver of Brazil\u2019s shark meat consumption, with the low-priced meat served in thousands of hospitals, schools and prisons in the South American nation of 213 million people.<\/p>\n<p>HCFMUSP issued tenders and named suppliers for at least 135 metric tons of shark meat from 2008-20, the Mongabay investigation found.<\/p>\n<p>After it learned HCFMUSP had issued <a href=\"https:\/\/buscarlicitacao.com.br\/licitacao\/sp\/sao-paulo\/60448040000122-1-000086\/2026\/edital-n-90089-2026\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">another shark meat tender in February 2026<\/a>, the NGO Sea Shepherd Brasil wrote a letter to hospital administrators asking them to rethink their plans. The letter argued that sharks are widely threatened and that their meat tends to contain high levels of heavy metals such as mercury and arsenic, posing a risk to human health.<\/p>\n<p>In late March, HCFMUSP announced it would remove shark meat from the 2026 procurement, citing \u201ca proven toxicological risk associated with heavy metals\u201d and the advocacy from Sea Shepherd.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHCFMUSP reaffirms its commitment to nutritional excellence and the safety of the supplies provided at its facilities,\u201d it wrote on social media.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_317085\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The University of S\u00e3o Paulo\u2019s Heart Institute, known as InCor, placed 12th globally in cardiology, according to Newsweek\u2019s 2026 World\u2019s Best Specialized Hospitals. Image by Maxpana3\/<a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Instituto_corazon_Hospital_Clinicas_SaoPaulo.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Wikimedia Common<\/a>s.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Stricter rules for federal shark meat procurements<\/h2>\n<p>The move by HCFMUSP is one of a series of recent developments affecting the shark trade in Brazil, which consumes about 40,000 metric tons of shark meat a year. About half of that is imported, mostly from Spanish and Taiwanese fleets operating in international waters.<\/p>\n<p>On March 19, Brazil\u2019s 11th Federal Court of Curitiba ruled that federal procurements of shark meat must meet new requirements for species labeling, traceability and contaminant testing, in a lawsuit brought by Sea Shepherd Brasil.<\/p>\n<p>However, the court stopped short of granting the NGO\u2019s request to prohibit all government shark meat procurements, not just at the federal but also at the state and municipal levels.<\/p>\n<p>Shark meat in Brazil is typically sold under the generic name <em>ca\u00e7\u00e3o<\/em>, rather than as <em>tubar\u00e3o<\/em>, the Portuguese word for \u201cshark.\u201d Surveys show most Brazilians who eat ca\u00e7\u00e3o don\u2019t know what kind of fish it is.<\/p>\n<p>Federal Deputy Nilto Tatto, who has authored a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.camara.leg.br\/proposicoesWeb\/fichadetramitacao?idProposicao=2394030\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">bill that would ban federal shark meat procurements<\/a>, told Mongabay the ruling was \u201ca major victory for marine conservation and public health, as it puts a stop to the commercial fraud that allows the sale of meat from endangered sharks and rays under the generic name ca\u00e7\u00e3o.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.doe.sp.gov.br\/legislativo\/expediente\/projeto-de-lei-n-110-de-2025-202502192116630899198\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">S\u00e3o Paulo<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www3.alerj.rj.gov.br\/lotus_notes\/default.asp?id=3&#038;url=L3NjcHJvMjMyNy5uc2YvMGM1YmY1Y2RlOTU2MDFmOTAzMjU2Y2FhMDAyMzEzMWIvMTE4MTY2ZTJlYmFmNWYzNjAzMjU4OWRjMDA2YWMxYzI\/T3BlbkRvY3VtZW50\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Rio de Janeiro<\/a> states are each considering bills that would require species labeling for ca\u00e7\u00e3o products, as is already the case in Paran\u00e1 state. <a href=\"https:\/\/www3.alerj.rj.gov.br\/lotus_notes\/default.asp?id=3&#038;url=L3NjcHJvMjMyNy5uc2YvMGM1YmY1Y2RlOTU2MDFmOTAzMjU2Y2FhMDAyMzEzMWIvODNhNDlmMTc4M2Y3OTBhZTAzMjU4OWRjMDA2YmE2MzA\/T3BlbkRvY3VtZW50\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Another Rio de Janeiro bill<\/a> would ban shark meat procurements in the state.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_317078\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775751784_53_Latin-Americas-largest-hospital-complex-cancels-plan-to-buy-shark.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-317078\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775751784_53_Latin-Americas-largest-hospital-complex-cancels-plan-to-buy-shark.jpg\" alt=\"Frozen blue shark steak sold at a Carrefour in M\u00e1laga, Spain. EU labeling rules require the species name and place of capture to be listed on the packaging. Image by Philip Jacobson\/Mongabay.\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775751784_53_Latin-Americas-largest-hospital-complex-cancels-plan-to-buy-shark.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07125304\/shark-meat-spain-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07125304\/shark-meat-spain-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07125304\/shark-meat-spain-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07125304\/shark-meat-spain-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Frozen blue shark steak is seen at a Carrefour hypermarket in M\u00e1laga, Spain. EU labeling rules require the species name and place of capture to be listed on the packaging. Image by Philip Jacobson\/Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_317079\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775751784_686_Latin-Americas-largest-hospital-complex-cancels-plan-to-buy-shark.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-317079\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775751784_686_Latin-Americas-largest-hospital-complex-cancels-plan-to-buy-shark.jpg\" alt=\"Shark meat sold at a Carrefour in S\u00e3o Paulo, meanwhile, is sold with no species or origin information. Image by Philip Jacobson\/Mongabay.\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775751784_686_Latin-Americas-largest-hospital-complex-cancels-plan-to-buy-shark.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07125405\/shark-meat-spain-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07125405\/shark-meat-spain-2-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07125405\/shark-meat-spain-2-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07125405\/shark-meat-spain-2-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shark meat is seen under the generic name \u201cca\u00e7\u00e3o\u201d at a Carrefour in S\u00e3o Paulo, meanwhile, with no species or origin information. Image by Philip Jacobson\/Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>New shark fishing rules<\/h2>\n<p>On March 26, Brazil\u2019s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.br\/mma\/pt-br\/noticias\/governo-do-brasil-anuncia-novas-regras-para-o-comercio-internacional-do-tubarao-azul\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">announced<\/a> new fishing and international trade rules for blue sharks (<em>Prionace glauca<\/em>), the world\u2019s most commonly traded species. It said the move aims to strengthen oversight of the species after it was added to Appendix II of CITES, a treaty restricting trade in threatened species, in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legisweb.com.br\/legislacao\/?id=493307\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">the new rules<\/a>, surface longline boats can\u2019t use wire leaders, a type of gear used to catch sharks , blue sharks can\u2019t be deliberately targeted for export and must not exceed 20% of a vessel\u2019s catch by weight , females and individuals weighing less than 45 kilograms (99 pounds) must be released at sea , and fins can only be exported attached to the body, among other restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>The rules were laid out in a directive from IBAMA, a regulatory and enforcement arm of the ministry.<\/p>\n<p>Industry groups panned the agency\u2019s decree, accusing IBAMA of overstepping its authority.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s encroaching on areas that are legally reserved for others and acting on a whim, driven by ideological whimsy,\u201d Cadu Villa\u00e7a, head of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conepe.org.br\/post\/do-sarcasmo-do-estupro-institucional-da-paranoia-administrativa-da-submiss%C3%A3o-e-da-humilha%C3%A7%C3%A3o-do-p\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">National Fisheries and Aquaculture Collective<\/a>, told Mongabay by phone, adding that the group was consulting with lawyers to map out next steps.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow are you going to export 3% of the animal\u2019s weight when you have to ship 100% of the animal\u2019s weight?\u201d he added, referring to the rule that fins must be exported attached the carcass. \u201cThat makes the whole thing unfeasible. It\u2019s obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_317080\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-317080\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775751784_542_Latin-Americas-largest-hospital-complex-cancels-plan-to-buy-shark.jpg\" alt=\"Finned shark carcasses in Brazil. Image by Philip Jacobson\/Mongabay.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1709\" srcset=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775751784_542_Latin-Americas-largest-hospital-complex-cancels-plan-to-buy-shark.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07130059\/DSC03644-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07130059\/DSC03644-1200x801.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07130059\/DSC03644-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07130059\/DSC03644-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07130059\/DSC03644-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07130059\/DSC03644-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shark carcasses with the fins cut off are seen at CEAGSP in S\u00e3o Paulo, the largest food warehouse in Brazil. Image by Philip Jacobson\/Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Shipowners union SINDIPI expressed its \u201cdeepest repudiation and indignation\u201d at the directive in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sindipi.com.br\/post\/nota-oficial-repudio-a-instrucao-normativa-ibama-no-92026\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Industry groups argue fishing currently poses no significant threat to blue sharks, which give birth to more pups at a time than many other shark species, but some conservationists point to warning signs and argue for a precautionary approach. The IUCN lists the species as near threatened globally.<\/p>\n<p>Sea Shepherd Brasil praised the new directive, calling it the result of years of pressure by academia and civil society.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBrazil is a country that for years was at the opposite end of shark protection,\u201d Nathalie Gil, director of Sea Shepherd Brasil, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/seashepherd.org.br\/the-tide-is-turning-for-sharks-and-brazil-is-shifting-the-current\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHowever, the country has just taken a meaningful (yet still incomplete) step toward greater protection for sharks.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Plenty of new orders for shark meat<\/h2>\n<p>Mongabay\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/?post_type=custom-story&#038;p=303246&#038;preview=true&#038;_thumbnail_id=303243\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">2025 investigation<\/a> identified 1,012 shark meat tenders with named suppliers that Brazilian public institutions issued since 2004. They span 542 municipalities in 10 of Brazil\u2019s 26 states.<\/p>\n<p>In early March, Mongabay identified 54 new tenders issued since July 2025, the month the investigation was published, spanning 48 cities and towns in 14 states.<\/p>\n<p>The four largest of the new tenders are all by municipal education departments. Serra, a city in Esp\u00edrito Santo state, <a href=\"https:\/\/transparencia.serra.es.gov.br\/Licitacao.Detalhes.aspx?municipioId=1&#038;LicitacaoId=14160#lote\/itens\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">wants to buy 80 metric tons of ca\u00e7\u00e3o for public schools<\/a> , Cama\u00e7ari, in Bahia state, <a href=\"https:\/\/pncp.gov.br\/app\/editais\/14109763000180\/2025\/185\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">is also seeking 80 metric tons<\/a> , S\u00e3o Gon\u00e7alo, in Rio de Janeiro state, <a href=\"https:\/\/licitacao.pmsg.rj.gov.br\/licitacao.php?licitacao_id=1586\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">wants 69.8 metric tons<\/a> , and Salvador, another Bahia city, <a href=\"https:\/\/pncp.gov.br\/app\/editais\/13927801000149\/2026\/19\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">is seeking 60 metric tons<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>That equates to more than 20,000 whole blue sharks, assuming an average weight of 27 kg (60 lbs) and half the carcass being good for steaks, fillets and cubes.<\/p>\n<h2>Shark on the hospital menu<\/h2>\n<p>The February 2026 tender from which HCFMUSP pledged to remove the 17 metric tons of shark meat will procure food for two of its institutes: the Central Institute, known as ICHC, and the Heart Institute, known as InCor.<\/p>\n<p>But HCFMUSP has previously procured shark meat for other institutes in the complex, documents show.<\/p>\n<p>A 2023 tender published as part of Mongabay\u2019s previous investigation showed that HCFMUSP had enlisted food services company <a href=\"https:\/\/lbgs.com.br\/alimentacao-hospitalar\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">LBGS<\/a> to supply meals, including weekly shark steaks, to three other HCFMUSP facilities: the Children\u2019s Institute, known as ICR, the Orthopedics and Traumatology Institute, or IOT, and the Psychiatry Institute, or IPQ.<\/p>\n<p>The HCFMUSP communications team did not respond to questions Mongabay sent via email asking whether the decision to remove ca\u00e7\u00e3o from the 2026 tender represents a policy to discontinue shark meat in its hospitals altogether, or if it\u2019s limited to a single procurement process. Instead they directed Mongabay to a social media post announcing the decision.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_317075\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Latin-Americas-largest-hospital-complex-cancels-plan-to-buy-shark.png\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-317075\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Latin-Americas-largest-hospital-complex-cancels-plan-to-buy-shark.png\" alt=\"HCFMUSP announced the removal of shark meat from the 2026 tender in an Instagram story.\" width=\"504\" height=\"668\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">HCFMUSP announced the removal of shark meat from the 2026 tender in a since-expired Instagram story, seen above.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A member of LBGS\u2019s purchasing department told Mongabay by phone that HCFMUSP had not contacted the company regarding any recent decision related to shark meat.<\/p>\n<p>While ICHC and InCor still prepare meals in-house and procure raw ingredients through government tenders, other institutes within the hospital complex have fully outsourced their catering to third parties, the LBGS worker said.<\/p>\n<p>The person said LBGS is still serving shark meat at HCFMUSP and defended it as an appropriate hospital food because shark, as a cartilaginous fish, lacks bones a patient could choke on. The only thing that would change the company\u2019s use of shark meat, they said, was \u201cif the government issued a communication\u201d requiring it.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_317095\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-317095\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775751784_514_Latin-Americas-largest-hospital-complex-cancels-plan-to-buy-shark.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775751784_514_Latin-Americas-largest-hospital-complex-cancels-plan-to-buy-shark.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07135002\/Visita_Tecnica_ao_Instituto_da_Crianca_do_Hospital_das_Clinicas_da_FMUSP._44985066182-768x528.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07135002\/Visita_Tecnica_ao_Instituto_da_Crianca_do_Hospital_das_Clinicas_da_FMUSP._44985066182-1200x825.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/07135002\/Visita_Tecnica_ao_Instituto_da_Crianca_do_Hospital_das_Clinicas_da_FMUSP._44985066182-610x419.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The University of S\u00e3o Paulo\u2019s Children\u2019s Institute, Brazil\u2019s premier pediatric hospital, regularly serves its patients shark meat. Image by Governo do Estado de S\u00e3o Paulo\/<a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Visita_T%C3%A9cnica_ao_Instituto_da_Crian%C3%A7a_do_Hospital_das_Cl%C3%ADnicas_da_FMUSP._(44985066182).jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em><strong>Banner image:<\/strong> Shark carcasses at the CEAGSP food warehouse in S\u00e3o Paulo. Image by Philip Jacobson\/Mongabay.<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"QBqypuYnHc\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/01\/rio-de-janeiro-state-bans-shark-meat-for-school-meals\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Rio de Janeiro state bans shark meat for school meals<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute , visibility: hidden ,\" title=\"\u201cRio de Janeiro state bans shark meat for school meals\u201d \u2014 Conservation news\" src=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/01\/rio-de-janeiro-state-bans-shark-meat-for-school-meals\/embed\/#?secret=1QXC7dXoNZ#?secret=QBqypuYnHc\" data-secret=\"QBqypuYnHc\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div id=\"single-article-footer\">\n<div class=\"container in-column about-editor-translator gap--40 pv--80\">\n<div class=\"container grid--3 repeat gap--40\">\n<div class=\"in-row gap--16\">\n<div class=\"author-avatar\">\n                    <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773143944_603_Seafood-fraud-is-rampant-imperiling-fish-populations-report-finds.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9ad8c16344913da83c7915b85cfde3bbae07708c472b1bb5ed0e966bb1b28204?s=64&#038;d=identicon&#038;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo\" height=\"32\" width=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/>        <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p>                            <span class=\"article-comments\"><a href=\"\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"\/><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last month saw a series of new policy developments for sharks in Brazil. Brazil\u2019s biggest hospital complex said it would strike shark meat from a planned 2026 procurement, though the boneless fish could still be served at some of its institutes. The environment agency issued a host of new rules, including a ban on shark [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nature-biodiversity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3174"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3176,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3174\/revisions\/3176"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}