Endangered angelshark is still traded in Brazil despite import ban
PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil — “Good choice!” said the clerk at one of the fish stalls in the Porto Alegre Public Market when Mongabay asked about the peixe anjo, which means “angel fish” in Portuguese, in mid-September. “We sell a lot of these. It’s really good, and it doesn’t have any bones.” The same product was […]
In Porto Alegre, Brazil, vendors at the city's public market continue to sell angelsharks despite an import ban. Known locally as "angel fish," these sharks are in fact three of the world's most endangered shark species: Squatina guggenheim, S. occulta, and S. argentina. The Brazilian government has historically authorized the import of angelsharks from neighboring countries.
Between January 2021 and September 2026, a total of 242.6 metric tons of angelshark meat entered Brazil from Argentina, with the majority arriving at customs ports in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina states. Prices for angelshark meat in the market ranged from 30 to 37 reais per kilo.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
