Turtle Eggs
Submitted by fyl on Thu, 2007/12/06 - 06:31.
I received the following message from a mailing list. It points out a problem. In this case is was clearly some people that knew better eating turtle eggs but for a visitor to Nicaragua they may not be aware that turtles are protected and, as such, turtle eggs are for making turtles, not food.
You will occasionally see signs that say huevos de tortuga outside restaurants. This would happen in Costa Rica as well. To the best of my knowledge, there is no such thing as "legal to eat" turtle eggs.
Estimados amigos, les escribo para manifestarles mi preocupación por lo sucedido ayer aquí en León, pues nuestros diputados comieron huevos de tortugas, en una violación clara a la ley de veda.Nosostrso aquí estamos haciendo labores de dos tipos:
a) Reproduciendo tortuguillos en la Reserva Natural Isla Juan Venado. En este año ya llevamos cerca de 6,000 tortuguillos y siguen naciendo.
b) hemos hecho propagada en bares, restaurantes, hoteles y hoy en los mercados para explicar por qué no debemos consumir huevos de tortugas.
c) Pero con el contrapeso de los diputados ya tenemos problemas y cuestionamientos de la población, nos dicen si ellos comen por qué nosostros no.
Por favor ayúdennos a denunciar esto.
Saludes
Pedrarioas Dávila Prado
Director Area Protegida Isla Juan venado
Nothing extraordinary.
I remember having huevos de paslama a few times as a kid in Nicaragua. It mainly tasted as a soft (mushier) yolk in a soft shell (like a small deflated ping pong ball). Nothing extraordinary. You can get the same effect when hens lay their eggs too soon. The shell doesn't harden.
If it's endangered, no need to eat it.
Directory of Nicaraguan owned Businesses in the US www.nicalink.com
MarineBio Blog Comments Quotes
http://marinebio.org/blog/?m=200705
Sea turtle consumption may be hazardous to your health
Sea turtles are frequently on the menu of coastal communities in countries where protein is a valuable commodity. Unfortunately, not only should sea turtle consumption be discouraged because all 7 sea turtle species are either critically endangered, endangered, or threatened, it should also be discouraged because the consumption of sea turtles may pose health risks to humans. The journal EcoHealth published an article in 2006 (Aguirre, A.A. et al. 2006. Hazards associated with the consumption of sea turtle meat and eggs: a review for health care workers and the general public. EcoHealth 3: 141–153) describing the dangers of consuming sea turtles. In its description of the article, the journal states:
SEA TURTLES STRIKE BACK
In some Latin American countries, there are cautionary horror tales told of wedding guests who die shortly after consuming the flesh of sea turtles. It turns out these tales are probably based on actual events, as Aguirre et al. detail the potentially deleterious and often lethal dangers of consumption of marine turtles and their eggs in their extensive review. Not only bacteria and parasites may be found in these bioaccumulating cheloniids, but also dangerously high levels of heavy metals and toxins. The authors urge for a coordinated, global educative effort to prohibit further human health hazards—which may, felicitously, aid in conservation of these ancient animals.
True or not
this may well be a more effective approach to stop (or at least lessen) consumption of turtles and their eggs.
Just living is not enough, one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower - H.C. Andersen