Tragic toll of eating sea turtle meat rises in Zanzibar incident

Tragedy in Zanzibar: Eight children have perished, and 78 individuals have been taken to hospital after consuming sea turtle meat.

The harrowing incident on Panza Island, located in the southern part of Pemba in Zanzibar, was reported on Saturday by the portal Thecitizen.

Haji Bakari Haji, a district doctor, reported that the poisoning happened on Tuesday, but authorities were only notified on Friday, at around midnight GMT.

This tragic occurrence isn't the first of its kind linked to the consumption of turtle meat within the semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar.

In March 2023, on Mafia Island in the Indian Ocean, the consumption of turtle meat claimed seven lives, while eight others were severely affected.

Similarly, in October 2021, on the island of Pemba, seven individuals, including a three-year-old child, succumbed to turtle meat poisoning.

Sea turtles commonly ingest toxic sponges. While such a diet doesn’t harm the turtles themselves, the toxins present in their meat can lead to neurotoxic conditions, kidney diseases, liver cancer, and, in severe cases, death.

Despite being endangered and protected by international laws that forbid the hunting and consumption of sea turtles, their meat remains a sought-after delicacy among the residents of Tanzania, Madagascar, the Seychelles, and other island and coastal communities.