bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP’s Asia desk

The Philippines has warned residents not to consume sea turtle meat following a suspected food poisoning incident that left three people dead and dozens sick in Maguindanao del Norte province.
Officials said the indigenous Tedurays experienced vomiting, stomach ache and dizziness after eating the endangered species caught and cooked by a fisherman at a gathering in Datu Blah Sinsuat town last week.
At least 35 people were hospitalised with gastrointestinal symptoms – three of them died while the remaining patients have been discharged.
Some dogs and cats that were fed the same dish also died.
The sea turtle is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and it is illegal to hunt or consume these creatures under Philippine law.
But some rural communities continue to flout the rule by using the marine reptiles in traditional delicacies for their purported medicinal properties.


“I hope they stop believing this misconception,” said villager Dhoe Embe.
Under Philippine wildlife law, killing endangered species is a crime punishable by up to 12 years in prison and a maximum fine of 1 million pesos (US$17,000).
Provincial health chief Ariff Baguindali on Monday urged locals to avoid eating seafood that was not well-cleaned as sea turtles would typically feed on toxic algae that could turn fatal when ingested by humans.
Epidemiology experts were investigating the incident involving the turtle, which a tribal leader said was not captured but found dead, and the Tedurays removed and cooked it, the Rappler news site reported.
Mayor Marshall Sinsuat said a ban on catching sea turtles for food would be implemented in the coastal town, and his administration would support the national government’s conservation programme.

Five of the seven sea turtle species in the world are found in the Philippines – the green turtle, hawksbill turtle, loggerhead turtle, leatherback turtle and olive ridley.
According to a study published in World Medical and Health Policy last year, people who consume sea turtles have a greater risk of accumulating heavy metals in their bodies.
The research, conducted among fishing communities in northwestern Mexico, also warned that human exposure to such elements could lead to increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
“The hope is that people will think, ‘If it’s bad for my health, then maybe I should stop eating sea turtles,’” Alonso Aguirre, dean of Colorado State University’s Warner College of Natural Resources, who led the study, said in January.


South China Sea: why Philippines’ new legal case against Beijing may fall flat

Will China’s might capsize the Philippines’ ‘most powerful coastguard’ ambitions?

Will AI enhance or undermine Asia’s elections?

When a Dior-clad socialite killed her lover, horrifying Hong Kong

The Philippines

Philippines warns against eating sea turtle meat after 3 deaths

The shell of a sea turtle that was eaten by villagers in Maguindanao del Norte, Philippines. Photo: Facebook/DatuMohamadSinsuatJr


A green sea turtle at Verde Island Philippines. Photo: Sarah Gillespie

China has ‘no right’ to demand Philippines to remove US Typhon missile system

US and Philippine soldiers prepare a reload fixture of the Mid-Range Capability missile system or Typhon at a drill in Northern Luzon, Philippines in June. Photo: 1st Multi-Domain Task Force

Wu Qian, Chinese defence ministry spokesman, speaks at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: AP

The US Army’s Typhon medium-range missile launch system. Photo: US Army

Is the Philippines’ Sulu province reborn after years of Abu Sayyaf horrors?

A beach at Patikul, Sulu, Philippines, a town previously controlled by the Abu Sayyaf militant group. Photo: Jeoffrey Maitem

Security personnel at the site of an explosion in Jolo town, Sulu province, Philippines on August 24, 2020. Photo: AP

Benajar Hadjan, a freelance photographer from Patikul town, in Tarlac, Philippines. Photo: Benajar Hadjan

A resident riding a motorcycle near Patikul town, which was previously controlled by the Abu Sayyaf militant group. Photo: Jeoffrey Maitem

An eatery at Mauboh Beach in Patikul town, one of Sulu’s tourist spots. Photo: Jeoffrey Maitem

Passengers boarding a ferry bound for Jolo, Sulu, Philippines, on November 29. Photo: Jeoffrey Maitem

Residents of Kabbon Takas, Sulu, Philippines, a village once controlled by the Abu Sayyaf militant group, gather at a local event. Photo: Jeoffrey Maitem

Philippines outnumbered as ‘largest China vessel swarm’ spotted near Thitu Island

Chinese maritime militia vessels in the South China Sea. Photo: Reuters

A fleet believed to be Chinese maritime militia is seen near Thitu Island in a satellite image taken on November 25. Photo: Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters

A satellite image of Thitu Island in the South China Sea. Photo: Maxar Technologies/Reuters

Killing of Philippine eagle sparks calls for tougher laws to save critically endangered bird

A Philippine eagle died from severe blood loss after it was shot in a forest in the southern part of the country. Photo: Handout/Klaus Nigge-Philippine Eagle Foundation


Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe smiles as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (right) hands over a gift of a Philippine eagle stuffed toy during a ceremony in Mindanao in 2017. Photo: AFP

This Week in Asia

Health & Environment

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

At least 35 people were hospitalised with gastrointestinal symptoms, including three who died from the suspected food poisoning incident


At least 35 people were hospitalised with gastrointestinal symptoms, including three who died from the suspected food poisoning incident.
