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Zanzibar, Tanzania — Eight children and an adult died after eating sea turtle meat on Pemba Island in the Zanzibar archipelago, while 78 other people were hospitalized, authorities said Saturday. Sea turtle meat is considered a delicacy by Zanzibar’s people even though it periodically results in deaths from chelonitoxism, a type of food poisoning.

Dr. Haji Bakari, the medical officer for Mkoani District, stated that the woman who passed away on Friday was a parent of one of the children who had already died. He confirmed that the turtle meat was eaten on Tuesday.

According to Bakari, laboratory tests have verified that all of the individuals involved had consumed turtle flesh.

Many types of sea turtles are currently listed as endangered, including the Kemp’s Ridley which is considered the most critically endangered species of sea turtle in the world.

The species is encountering a new difficulty due to the increased temperature of the ocean off the northeast coast of the United States, causing them to stay in Massachusetts longer into the late fall instead of migrating south.

Since the 1970s, a large number of Kemp’s Ridley turtles have been found in a hypothermic state, known as cold-stunning, on the beaches of Massachusetts. A biologist involved in rescue efforts stated to CBS News that this number has now risen to over 700 turtles annually.

Source: cbsnews.com