Sea turtle stew leaves three dead and 32 in hospital
After eating a stew made from an endangered sea turtle, three people have died and 32 were taken to hospital in the Philippines. Dozens of indigenous Teduray people experienced symptoms including diarrhoea, vomiting, and abdominal spasms after eating the sea turtle stew in the seaside town of the Maguindanao del Norte Province, according to officials.
Hunting and consuming a sea turtle is illegal in the country thanks to its environmental protection laws. But the marine reptile is still eaten as a tradition for some communities. A sea turtle that has eaten contaminated algae can be toxic to eat, even if the animal appears healthy.
Dogs, cats, and chicken who were fed the same also died according to local official Irene Dillo who spoke with the BBC. Authorities, she added, were investigating the cause of death.
The sea turtle was cooked as adobo, a popular dish in the country that includes meat and vegetables stewed in vinegar and soy sauce.
Datu Blah Sinsuat, a coastal town known for white, sandy beaches and clear waters, sees its residents often going to the sea for their food. “It was unfortunate because there is so much other seafood in their village – lobsters, fish,” Ms Dillo said.
Most of those hospitalised have since been discharged, according to local media, while the three who died were immediately buried, due to local tradition.
Officials were told to strictly enforce the sea turtle hunting ban, Datu Mohamad Sinsuat Jr, a local councillor said. The councillor vowed that “this food poisoning incident will never happen again”.
Most species of sea turtle are classified as endangered, making it illegal to collect, harm, or kill them. But they are hunted for meat and their eggs in many cultures with the latter believed to have some medicinal properties.
In 2013, in the Philippines’ Eastern Samar Province, 68 people fell ill with four of them dying after consuming sea turtles found near their village.
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