Three people have died in the Philippines after eating the meat of an endangered sea turtle, with at least 32 people hospitalized. The incident took place last week in a coastal town in Maguindanao del Norte province.
Officials said several members of the indigenous Tedurai community suffered from diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain after eating the cooked meat.
The Philippines' environmental protection law prohibits the hunting and eating of sea turtles, but some indigenous communities in the country still traditionally eat the animals.
Although they appear healthy, some sea turtles eat contaminated algae. These can be toxic even after cooking and can be fatal.
A local official, Irene Dilo, told the BBC that dogs, cats and chickens have also died after eating the same turtles. He said the deaths were being investigated.
A popular dish in the Philippines is adabo, which is meat and vegetables cooked in vinegar and soy sauce over low heat.
Residents of the coastal town of Dato Blah Sinsuat gather their food from the sea. Official Irene Dilo said the incident was unfortunate because their village has an abundance of seafood, including lobsters and fish.
Local media reported that most of those hospitalized have been discharged. The three deceased were buried in a single row, according to local tradition.
Local councilor Datu Mohammad Sinsuat Jr. said he had asked local officials to impose strict restrictions on anyone hunting sea turtles in the area. He promised that such incidents would not happen again.
Most sea turtles are now endangered species. It is illegal to catch, harm or kill them. Still, some communities hunt them for their meat and eggs, which they believe have medicinal properties.
In 2013, villagers caught a sea turtle near a village in the Eastern Samar province of the Philippines and ate it. It sickened 68 people. Four died.
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