Karla Mendes

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...

[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:

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 ...

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...

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...

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

Estado do Rio proíbe carne de tubarão em merenda escolar por riscos à saúde e ao meio ambiente RIO DE JANEIRO — A Secretaria de Educação do Estado do Rio de Janeiro baniu a carne de tubarão na merenda escolar de 1.200 instituições da rede pública estadual, colocando o estado no caminho de se to...

O governo do estado do Rio de Janeiro baniu a carne de tubarão na merenda escolar de 1.200 instituições da rede pública estadual. A medida foi adotada após pressão de conservacionistas, que alertaram sobre os riscos à saúde e ao meio ambiente.

brasil.mongabay.com/2026/01/esta...

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 ...

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-...

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

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

"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

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 ...

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:

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

🇦🇫 @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

@sejorg.bsky.social @pulitzercenter.org

How to Cover the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) YouTube video by Mongabay

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:

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 ...

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....

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

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...

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

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 ...

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:

Thank you so much, Daniel!

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much!

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!

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

Thank you so much, Erik!

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...

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...

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

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 se tornar a primeira terra indígena do país a legalizar gado para subsistência A operação federal para remover gado ilegal da Terra Indígena Arariboia enfrentou uma resistência inesperada de alguns indígenas e, agora, o território pode tornar-se o primeiro do país a legalizar pe...

Desencadeada por uma investigação da @mongabay.com, uma operação removeu 2 mil cabeças de gado ilegal da Terra Indígena Arariboia.
Mas protestos de indígenas levaram o governo a considerar legalizar gado para subsistência @pulitzercenter.bsky.social bit.ly/4lkWq0S

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...

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

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!

Iconic Brazil nut crop plunges after extreme drought, skyrocketing prices A vital Amazonian superfood suddenly vanishes, leaving thousands of Indigenous and extractivist families reeling.

Communities in the Amazon reported severe cuts of up to 80% of Brazil nut crops, with some territories collecting “not even a single nut.”

@nandawenzel.bsky.social and @bykarlamendes.bsky.social for @mongabay.com

news.mongabay.com/2025/07/icon...

Thank you so much, Laurel!