Brazil federal government summons Santa Catarina seafood company in notice published in Official Gazette

Brazil’s federal government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, published an official notice in the Federal Official Gazette on Thursday, May 28, 2026, summoning Maré Mansa Pescados Ltda. The notice was issued after authorities were unable to deliver official documents and notifications through standard methods, including postal service and direct delivery to the company’s legal representatives.

The company, based in Santa Catarina, must appear within five days at the regional office of the Ninth Service for Inspection of Animal-Origin Products, known as Sipoa, or send a legally authorized representative. The purpose is to formally notify the company of a First Instance Judgment in administrative process 21000.062903/2023-59, which found that sanitary and administrative requirements established by current Brazilian law were not complied with.

The action is based on Law 6.198/1974, which governs sanitary and industrial inspection of animal-origin products, and Decree 12.031/2024, which regulates Law 14.515/2022. That law introduced self-control programs for agricultural and livestock establishments and changed how federal oversight is carried out. Sipoa is responsible for federal inspection and enforcement to ensure that products such as fish and seafood reach consumers under required safety standards.

Publication by official notice is used when a party’s address is uncertain or when there are technical difficulties in locating the recipient. This mechanism prevents administrative proceedings from stalling while preserving the right to defense through public notification. In this case, the first-instance ruling indicates that inspection authorities had already reviewed the alleged violations before issuing the summons.

According to the official notice, company representatives should go to the Ninth Sipoa office at Rua João Grumiche, 117, Block J, in the Kobrasol neighborhood of São José, Santa Catarina. Service is available from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The government also provided the phone number (48) 3261-9980 for questions about attendance and required documentation.

Compliance with Federal Inspection Service standards is mandatory for any company that sells animal-origin products in Brazil. Failure to meet requirements can lead to penalties ranging from fines to suspension of sales activities and cancellation of the establishment’s registration with control authorities. Under the new self-control system, inspection remains strict, especially in cases involving potential health risks.

The fishing sector is a key focus of federal oversight because seafood is highly perishable and vulnerable to fraud or biological contamination. Official notices published in the Federal Official Gazette signal the continued enforcement of inspection rules across the sector. The case, which began in 2023, now moves to the next procedural stage, opening the way for appeals or for immediate compliance with any sanctions imposed by the first-instance authority.