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To Eat or not to Eat an Endangered Species: Views of Local Residents and Physicians on the Safety of Sea Turtle Consumption in Northwestern Mexico

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Abstract

Sea turtles have historically been an important food resource for many coastal inhabitants of Mexico. Today, the consumption of sea turtle meat and eggs continues in northwestern Mexico despite well-documented legal protection and market conditions providing easier access to other more reliable protein sources. Although there is growing evidence that consuming sea turtles may be harmful to human health due to biotoxins, environmental contaminants, viruses, parasites, and bacteria, many at-risk individuals, trusted information sources, and risk communicators may be unaware of this information. Therefore, we interviewed 134 residents and 37 physicians in a region with high rates of sea turtle consumption to: (1) examine their knowledge and perceptions concerning these risks, as a function of sex, age, occupation, education and location; (2) document the occurrence of illness resulting from consumption; and (3) identify information needs for effective risk communication. We found that 32% of physicians reported having treated patients who were sickened from sea turtle consumption. Although physicians believed sea turtles were an unhealthy food source, they were largely unaware of specific health hazards found in regional sea turtles, regardless of location. By contrast, residents believed that sea turtles were a healthy food source, regardless of sex, age, occupation, and education, and they were largely unaware of specific health hazards found in regional sea turtles, regardless of age, occupation, and education. Although most residents indicated that they would cease consumption if their physician told them it was unhealthy, women were significantly more likely to do so than men. These results suggest that residents may lack the necessary knowledge to make informed dietary decisions and physicians do not have enough accurate information to effectively communicate risks with their patients.

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Acknowledgements

Data were collected while J. Senko was a student at the University of Connecticut and interviews were approved by the Center for Coastal Studies. We are grateful for the help of Melania Lopez-Castro in assisting with INEGI data. Morty Ortega, Salvador Garcia-Martinez, Francisco “Paco” Ollervides, and Stephen Delgado provided feedback and encouragement at various stages of this study. Major funding and logistical support for J. Senko was provided by the University of Connecticut and School for Field Studies–Center for Coastal Studies. Lisa Campbell and one anonymous reviewer provided insightful comments that greatly improved this manuscript. Special thanks to the many residents and physicians of BCS who participated in interviews and Julio Solis for assisting with data collection. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the authors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Jesse Senko

  2. Ocean Revolution and California Academy of Sciences, Davenport, CA, 95017, USA

    Wallace J. Nichols

  3. Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    James Perran Ross & Adam S. Willcox

Authors
  1. Jesse Senko
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  2. Wallace J. Nichols
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  3. James Perran Ross
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  4. Adam S. Willcox
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jesse Senko.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Questions asked during semistructured interviews with citizens

Date_______________ Location________________________

Surveyor________________________

Baja California Sur Sea Turtle Survey

We are administering a survey with the aim of knowing your opinions about the importance of sea turtles in the region where you live. Your answers are very important to us and will help us in the development of a community-based communication and education program for the benefit of all. It is not necessary to give us your name and answering this questionnaire will take only a few minutes. Thank you very much!

  1. 1.

    Gender (MARK WITHOUT ASKING)

    [] Male [] Female

  2. 2.

    How old are you? _____________

  3. 3.

    What is your highest level of schooling? __________________________

DID YOU FINISH? [] YES [] NO

  1. 4.

    How are you employed? _______________________________

  2. 5.

    Do you believe that sea turtle is a healthy food source?

[] Yes [] No

PLEASE SPECIFY WHY OR WHY NOT

  1. 6.

    Do you know anyone who has ever had any health related problems associated with eating sea turtle?

[] Yes [] No

IF YES, PLEASE SPECIFY

  1. 7.

    Are you aware of any contaminants, toxins, parasites, etc. that sea turtles may carry? If so, please indicate which ones

Organochlorine pollutants Mercury

PCB’s Infectious virus Fibropapillomatosis

Marine biotoxins Bacteria

The pathogen Chlamydiosis The parasite Learedius learedi

The pathogen Cryptosporidiosis Other (list)

MARK

  1. 8.

    If a doctor told you that eating sea turtle meat was unhealthy because it might contain contaminants, bacteria or parasites, would you continue to eat it?

[] Yes

[] No

[] Maybe

PLEASE SPECIFY WHY OR WHY NOT

Appendix 2

Questions asked during semi-structured interviews with physicians

Date____________ Location_______________________

Surveyor_______________________

Baja California Sur Sea Turtle Survey

We are administering a survey with the aim of knowing your opinions about the importance of sea turtles in the region where you live. Your answers are very important to us and will help us in the development of a community-based communication and education program for the benefit of all. It is not necessary to give us your name and answering this questionnaire will take only a few minutes. Thank you very much!

  1. 1.

    Do you believe sea turtle is a healthy food source?

[] Yes [] No

PLEASE SPECIFY WHY OR WHY NOT

  1. 2.

    How often do your patients tell you they eat sea turtle?

PLEASE SPECIFY TO YOUR BEST ABILITY

  1. 3.

    Have you ever treated any patients sickened from sea turtle consumption?

[] Yes [] No

IF YES, PLEASE SPECIFY HOW MANY TIMES AND HOW OFTEN

(Once per week / Once per month / Once per year / Other - MARK)

  1. 4.

    What were the diagnoses (e.g., E. coli, salmonella, toxic poisoning, etc)?

PLEASE SPECIFY TO YOUR BEST ABILITY

  1. 5.

    Are you aware that regional sea turtles may contain the following health hazards: organochlorines, mercury, PCBs, biotoxins, pathogens, parasites, bacteria or viruses?

[] Yes [] No

IF YES, PLEASE SPECIFY WHICH ONES

  1. 6.

    If your answer to number 5 was “No,” would this information be useful to you and your patients OR would you be interested in receiving more information on the topic?

[] Yes [] No

PLEASE SPECIFY WHY OR WHY NOT

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Senko, J., Nichols, W.J., Ross, J.P. et al. To Eat or not to Eat an Endangered Species: Views of Local Residents and Physicians on the Safety of Sea Turtle Consumption in Northwestern Mexico. EcoHealth 6, 584–595 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-010-0280-7

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