Hemerson Dantas dos Santos Pataxó HãHãHãi, the world’s first published Indigenous ethnobotanist, worked with elders to document 175 medicinal plants in Brazil. Describing elders as "living libraries," his work preserves ancestral healing for future generations. Story by @bykarlamendes.bsky.social.

How the first published Indigenous ethnobotanist & elders recorded their people’s medicinal knowledge

CARAMURU/PARAGUASSU INDIGENOUS TERRITORY, Brazil — Looking at the landscape of dry and cleared mountains around her house, Marta Xavier de Oliveira remembered when it was a forest. “When we got sick,…

mongabay.cc

Brazil has listed the tambaqui, an Amazon fish, as vulnerable after projections indicated a 43.4% decline in its population. Without a recovery plan, a fishing ban could be imposed, raising economic concerns for small-scale fishers who rely on the species. @bykarlamendes.bsky.social reports.

Fishers fight for solutions as Brazil lists tambaqui as threatened

Amazon fishers fear a total ban on their most iconic catch could favor industrial farms over local communities.

mongabay.cc

One of the most cooked fish in the Amazon, the tambaqui was included in Brazil's list of threatened species, triggering fear of losses from Amazon small-scale fishers who depend on the species for their livelihood. @bykarlamendes.bsky.social on @mongabay.com news.mongabay.com/2026/07/fish...

Fishers fight for solutions as Brazil lists tambaqui as threatened

Amazon fishers fear a total ban on their most iconic catch could favor industrial farms over local communities.

news.mongabay.com

Despite protection and conservation efforts, cágado-iaçá’s populations over the past 36 years declined by more than 50% in Amazonas and western Pará states, according to official data. @bykarlamendes.bsky.social reports on @mongabay.com news.mongabay.com/2026/07/braz...

Brazil lists the Amazon river turtle as endangered for the first time

A food staple and once a common sight, the Amazon turtle is now officially endangered as its population halves.

news.mongabay.com

Great news! Our shark meat investigation has been nominated to the @fundaciongabo.bsky.social Awards! Congratulations to Mongabay's @bykarlamendes.bsky.social, @philjaco.bsky.social, & @nandawenzel.bsky.social, and @pulitzercenter.org's @kuangkeng.bsky.social. Read more! 👉 mongabay.cc/schools-eh

That ‘fish’ on the menu? In Brazil’s schools and prisons, it’s often shark

Brazil, the world’s top importer of shark meat, is feeding much of it to preschoolers, hospital patients, military staff, public workers and more via government procurements, Mongabay has found.

mongabay.cc

Karla Mendes@bykarlamendes.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Our shark meat investigation was nominated for the Gabo Award @fundaciongabo.bsky.social! @philjaco.bsky.social @nandawenzel.bsky.social @kuangkeng.bsky.social @mongabay.com @pulitzercenter.org Que alegria ter nossa investigação sobre licitações de carne de tubarão indicada ao Prêmio Gabo!

Our shark meat investigation was nominated for the Gabo Award @fundaciongabo.bsky.social! @philjaco.bsky.social @nandawenzel.bsky.social @kuangkeng.bsky.social @mongabay.com @pulitzercenter.org Que alegria ter nossa investigação sobre licitações de carne de tubarão indicada ao Prêmio Gabo!

Brazilian version of This American Life did an hourlong show about our shark meat investigation, featuring my colleague @bykarlamendes.bsky.social

Rádio Novelo@radionovelo.com.br · 4mo ago

Em 2024, o site Mongabay Brasil começou uma investigação para entender o consumo de carne de tubarão. Eles descobriram que essa carne é servida em instituições públicas do país todo – mas sempre sob um outro nome: “cação”. E isso é um problema em várias frentes, de saúde pública à risco ambiental.

Em 2024, o site Mongabay Brasil começou uma investigação para entender o consumo de carne de tubarão. Eles descobriram que essa carne é servida em instituições públicas do país todo – mas sempre sob um outro nome: “cação”. E isso é um problema em várias frentes, de saúde pública à risco ambiental.

#Impact: Latin America’s largest hospital complex has canceled plans to buy shark meat following new Brazilian policies that ban finning and impose stricter labeling requirements. These changes follow an investigation by @philjaco.bsky.social and @bykarlamendes.bsky.social for #Mongabay.

Latin America’s largest hospital complex cancels plan to buy shark meat

The University of São 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. HCFMUSP…

mongabay.cc

[nonprofit #journalism impact] Investigative reporting by @mongabay.com reporters @philjaco.bsky.social @bykarlamendes.bsky.social @nandawenzel.bsky.social spurred the state of Rio to remove #sharks from the menu Education dept announces a ban on serving shark meat in public schools it manages:

Investigation earns Brazil's top education award & ban on shark meat in Rio de Janeiro school cafeterias - Environmental Journalism and Education

In July and August 2025, Mongabay published two investigative reports that uncovered the scale and opacity of shark meat purchases by Brazilian government institutions. These stories triggered immedia...

mongabay.org

Brazilian police seize more than 1.5 metric tons of shark fins - @shannahl.bsky.social @bykarlamendes.bsky.social @mongabay.com news.mongabay.com/short-articl...

Brazilian police seize more than 1.5 metric tons of shark fins

Brazilian authorities seized more than 1.5 metric tons of shark fins in Rodelas, Bahia state, on Feb. 12, uncovering what they allege is a Chinese run syndicate. They arrested seven people, including ...

news.mongabay.com

Rio de Janeiro state banned shark meat in 1,200 schools after a @mongabay.com investigation found 10 Brazilian states procured more than 5,400 tons of shark meat since 2004. Environmental and health concerns drove the ban. Impact by @bykarlamendes.bsky.social reporting. bit.ly/3OkgKDP

Rio de Janeiro State Bans Shark Meat for School Meals After Pulitzer Center Journalists' Investigation

The government of Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state has banned shark meat for meals in most of the schools it manages, after pressure from conservationists and school meal advisers raising health and...

pulitzercenter.org

he government of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro has banned shark meat for meals in most of the schools it manages, citing health and environmental concerns. My latest @mongabay.com @pulitzercenter.org news.mongabay.com/2026/01/rio-...

Rio de Janeiro state bans shark meat for school meals

RIO DE JANEIRO — The government of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro has banned shark meat for meals in most of the schools it manages, citing health and environmental concerns. The move puts the ...

news.mongabay.com

Muito bom ver minha reportagem da @mongabay.com republicada pela @apublica.org

Agência Pública@apublica.org · 7mo ago

🐟 O RIO PAROU | No Lago Puruzinho, no Amazonas, o pescador Raimundo Nonato dos Santos vê o peixe desaparecer. Pirarucu, tambaqui e pirapitinga virou raridade após a usina de Santo Antônio. A pesca caiu, a renda sumiu e até a comida do dia a dia mudou. Leia mais: http://dlvr.it/TQS7Nr

"That ‘Fish’ on the Menu? In Brazil’s Schools and Prisons, It’s Often Shark” by @philjaco.bsky.social, @bykarlamendes.bsky.social, and @kuangkeng.bsky.social, for @mongabay.com is one of two selections by Ocean Editor Jessica Aldred for the 2025 #PulitzerStaffPicks. 👉 bit.ly/YIStories25

This week on the Mongabay Newscast @philjaco.bsky.social explains how he, @bykarlamendes.bsky.social and @pulitzercenter.org's Kuang Keng Kuek Ser uncovered the fact that state governments in Brazil have been serving shark meat to thousands of public institutions. Listen to full story here:

Brazilian government serves shark to infants, prisoners and more: How Mongabay broke the story

Mongabay senior editor Philip Jacobson joins Mongabay’s podcast to discuss a two-part investigation published this year in collaboration with the Pulitzer Center about how state governments in Brazil ...

news.mongabay.com

Congrats to Pulitzer Center Fellows @philjaco.bsky.social, @bykarlamendes.bsky.social, @nandawenzel.bsky.social, and Data Editor @kuangkeng.bsky.social!

Philip Jacobson@philjaco.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Got this Brazilian trofeu from the Rio Grande do Sul Press Association for our shark meat investigation - placed 2nd in the national reporting category with @bykarlamendes.bsky.social @nandawenzel.bsky.social @kuangkeng.bsky.social @mongabaylatam.bsky.social @pulitzercenter.org 🙏😤🙏

🇦🇫 @zahranader.bsky.social — editora-chefe, @zantimes.bsky.social 🇷🇸 Mira Milosevic — editora executiva, @gfmd.info 🇫🇷 @laurentrichard.bsky.social — cineasta, fundadora @forbidden-stories.bsky.social 🇧🇷 @bykarlamendes.bsky.social — repórter investigativa, @mongabay.com #GIJC25

🇦🇫 @zahranader.bsky.social — editor-in-chief, @zantimes.bsky.social 🇷🇸 Mira Milosevic — ED, @gfmd.info 🇫🇷 @laurentrichard.bsky.social — filmmaker, founder @forbidden-stories.bsky.social 🇧🇷 @bykarlamendes.bsky.social — investigative reporter, @mongabay.com

Journalists covering the EUDR, I urge you to listen to the webinar we just hosted on how to cover this topic with panelists from @earthsight.bsky.social and @rainforestalliance.bsky.social and @bykarlamendes.bsky.social:

How to Cover the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)

YouTube video by Mongabay

youtube.com

What’s on the menu at thousands of Brazilian public institutions? Shark meat, and most people don’t even know it, report @philjaco.bsky.social, @bykarlamendes.bsky.social, and Kuang Keng Kuek Ser for @mongabay.com. Supported by @pulitzercenter.bsky.social. news.mongabay.com/custom-story...

That ‘fish’ on the menu? In Brazil’s schools and prisons, it’s often shark

Brazil, the world’s top importer of shark meat, is feeding much of it to preschoolers, hospital patients, military staff, public workers and more via government procurements, Mongabay has found. This ...

news.mongabay.com

Brazil is serving shark meat in thousands of schools, hospitals, prisons and other institutions, raising serious concerns. A report by #ORN Fellow @philjaco.bsky.social, #RIN Fellow @bykarlamendes.bsky.social, and Pulitzer Center's @kuangkeng.bsky.social for @mongabay.com. 👉 bit.ly/40EuQ6E

That ‘Fish’ on the Menu? In Brazil’s Schools and Prisons, It’s Often Shark

Brazil, the world’s top importer of shark meat, is feeding much of it to preschoolers, hospital patients, military staff, public workers and more via government procurements, Mongabay has found. This....

pulitzercenter.org

Hear our @bykarlamendes.bsky.social discuss these findings that many #sharks are secretly on Brazilian menus, without public knowledge, here on US public radio:

In Brazil, shark meet is on the menu at public schools - The World from PRX

In recent years, Brazil has become the world’s top consumer of shark meat. That’s because of a law that requires fishermen who catch sharks to bring the entire animal to port — not just the fins, like...

theworld.org

In Brazil’s schools & prisons, shark is often on the menu That's not great for public health An investigation by @philjaco.bsky.social @bykarlamendes.bsky.social & @kuangkeng.bsky.social for @mongabay.com reveals *thousands of tons* of mercury laden, possibly endangered #sharks & rays, are served:

That ‘fish’ on the menu? In Brazil’s schools and prisons, it’s often shark

Brazil, the world’s top importer of shark meat, is feeding much of it to preschoolers, hospital patients, military staff, public workers and more via government procurements, Mongabay has found. This ...

news.mongabay.com

Extremamente emocionada por ser a 1ª brasileira a ganhar o prêmio John B Oakes por Excelência em Jornalismo Ambiental da Universidade de Columbia, EUA. Agradeço à @mongabay.com @pulitzercenter.bsky.social por todo apoio. E meu profundo agradecimento aos Guardiões da Floresta pela confiança!

Columbia Journalism School@columbiajournalism.bsky.social · last yr.

🏆 Congratulations to Karla Mendes and @mongabay.com for winning the 2025 #OakesAward! Their reporting uncovers illegal cattle ranching and violence threatening Indigenous lands in the Amazon, exposing urgent environmental and human rights crises.

I'm extremely emotional to be the 1st Brazilian to win the John B Oakes Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism @columbiajournalism.bsky.social! Thanks to @mongabay.com @pulitzercenter.bsky.social for the support & thanks to the Guardians of the Forest for the trust! @sejorg.bsky.social

Columbia Journalism School@columbiajournalism.bsky.social · last yr.

🏆 Congratulations to Karla Mendes and @mongabay.com for winning the 2025 #OakesAward! Their reporting uncovers illegal cattle ranching and violence threatening Indigenous lands in the Amazon, exposing urgent environmental and human rights crises.

As Brazil expands oil, #COP30 head urges rich nations to phase out fossil fuels first - @bykarlamendes.bsky.social @shannahl.bsky.social‬ @mongabay.com news.mongabay.com/short-articl...

As Brazil expands oil, COP30 head urges rich nations to phase out fossil fuels first

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL — As Brazil ramps up offshore oil exploration at the mouth of the Amazon River, the CEO of COP30 urged wealthy nations to be the first to cut back on both producing and consuming fos...

news.mongabay.com

Operação federal na Terra Indígena Arariboia (MA), motivada por investigações do Mongabay sobre pecuária ilegal na região, removeu cerca de 2 mil cabeças e aplicou R$ 1,1 milhão em multas ambientais.

Arariboia pode ser primeira terra indígena do país a legalizar gado para subsistência

Apesar de indígenas não serem proibidos de criar gado, situação gera temor que fazendeiros usem área para criação ilegal

dlvr.it

Spurred by a @mongabay.com investigation, a federal crackdown removed 2,000 illegal cattle from Brazil’s Arariboia Indigenous Territory. But unexpected protests has prompted the government to consider regulating Indigenous-owned cattle bit.ly/40dCEfq @pulitzercenter.bsky.social @sejorg.bsky.social

Brazil’s Arariboia set to be the first Indigenous land with legal cattle

A crackdown on illegal cattle herds inside the Arariboia Indigenous Territory in Brazil has hit unexpected pushback that could make this the first area of its kind in the country to allow licensed cat...

bit.ly

That’s a wrap on #20CongressoAbraji! SEJ board members @bykarlamendes.bsky.social, Michael Kodas, @bobbymagill.bsky.social & @mollypeterson.bsky.social brought global perspectives to São Paulo and connected with attendees, Brazilian SEJ members. Stay tuned for their takeaways and a webinar!