Sea turtles often feed on toxic sponges. Eight children died and 78 other people were admitted to hospital after eating sea turtle meat on Panza Island in the southern Pemba region of Zanzibar, TheCitizen reported.
District physician, Haji Bakari Haji, said the poisoning occurred on Tuesday, but the incident was only reported to authorities on Friday.
This is not the first fatality caused by the consumption of turtle meat on the islands of semi-autonomous Zanzibar.
In March 2023, on Mafia Island in the Indian Ocean, seven people died because of this and eight more became seriously ill.
Also, seven people, including a three-year-old, were fatally poisoned by turtle meat on Pemba Island in October 2021.
Sea turtles often feed on toxic sponges. While this diet does not kill the animal, the toxins in its meat can cause neurotoxicity, kidney disease, liver cancer, and even death.
Sea turtle meat is a common delicacy among the inhabitants of the islands and coastal areas of Tanzania, Madagascar, Seychelles and still finds its way onto local tables, even though the species is endangered and protected by international regulations that prohibit both hunting and consumption by humans.
