Tragic Incident on Zanzibar's Pemba Island: 9 Fatalities and 78 Hospitalizations Linked to Sea Turtle Meat Consumption

Sea turtle meat is highly valued by the people of Zanzibar, it can lead to fatalities due to chelonitoxism, a form of food poisoning.

The adult who died on Friday night was the mother of one of the deceased children. According to Dr. Haji Bakari, the district medical officer in Mkoani, the sea turtle meat was consumed on Tuesday.

The island is renowned for its combination of pristine beaches, renowned spice plantations, rich history centered around Stone Town as the capital, and vibrant cultural diversity. Unguja, the primary island in Zanzibar, is also a sanctuary for various endangered species like the red colobus monkey and green turtle.

Laboratory tests confirmed that all the victims had consumed sea turtle meat.

Officials in Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania, dispatched a disaster management team led by Hamza Hassan Juma to address the situation. Juma warned against consuming sea turtles following the deaths of seven individuals, including a 3-year-old child, on Pemba in November 2021. Three others were also hospitalized after eating turtle meat.