Warning - Don't Eat Turtle Soup....

People are dying from eating what they think of as a delicacy. Not only do they deplete an endangered species, but they are consuming heavy metals and toxins that build up in the animal's meat due to their long life span.

Researchers in the US and Mexico have documented numerous reports worldwide of health hazards associated with eating turtle, including food poisoning with Salmonella. Sea turtles also pick up marine toxins, possibly from algae, which are not removed by washing or cooking and can kill up to a fifth of people affected. And because turtles live so long, they accumulate metals and pesticides: levels of cadmium are three times as high, and mercury 10 times as high, as in tuna. The survey will be published later this month in EcoHealth.
www.newscientist.com...

These wonderful creatures are being driven into extiction because humans want to put them on their dinner plates.

Status of Marine Turtles
All 7 species of marine turtles are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA); 6 of those species fall under the jurisdiction of the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources.
www.nmfs.noaa.gov...

I'll go a step further and suggest people that keep turtles and tortoises as pets should consider finding a proper home for these animals and keep them away from children, elderly, and persons with weak immune systems. Salmonella can kill some people by just handling and playing with these reptiles.


Edit: little fix


[edit on 19/9/2006 by anxietydisorder]

Man I hate this and my family (who are Nicaraguan) eat them and one time they eat in front of me god I was pissed!

Now I'll going to tell them that if you eat this you can die.

(poor little turtle )

Yuk! I don't think that's going to be a huge disappointment to a whole lot of people. Nasty! Poor little turtles....