Community Conch in the News!
Over the last few years Community Conch’s research has seen a surge in public attention, thanks in part to the Shedd Aquarium’s recent conch initiatives. Below is a list of articles that mention us and our results.
https://thenassauguardian.com/2019/01/17/breef-concerned-about-viability-of-conch-population/
https://thenassauguardian.com/2019/01/09/study-conch-fishery-could-disappear-in-15-years
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/01/conch-decline-overfishing-the-bahamas
https://ewnews.com/over-4-mil-in-conch-exported-from-the-bahamas
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article224130335.html
Recently Martha Davis was interviewed by HowStuffWorks for their entry on conch:
https://animals.howstuffworks.com/endangered-species/conch.html
Community Conch uses Facebook to post updates and commentary on topics and issues related to conch conservation. You can see our latest posts here:
𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐎𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝'𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 (𝐌𝐒𝐂) 𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐡.
Jamaica exports about 90% of their conch and has been working for years to get MSC endorsement. To reach this goal, they have instituted 1) a total allowable catch based on field surveys and actual landings 2) individual conch quotas for licensed fishers 3) licenses for each conch fishing boat 4) fines for invalid license or quota 5) an annual export quota 6) two independent inspections of each export shipment 7) a closed season when waters are warmest (Aug-Feb) 8) minimum landing size 9) designation of 16 fishery conservation areas run with NGOs.
Management of Queen Conch in The Bahamas is considering only a few of these management regulations. While it is true that the conch fishery in The Bahamas is much more dispersed than the Pedro Bank in Jamaica, and therefore more difficult to manage, it is not immune from overfishing. Not only has it not finalized any conch harvest regulations, the government has essentially stopped all ongoing monitoring of the fishery by denying permits to the scientists donating their time and resources to this labor intensive work.
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Jamaica’s queen conch fishery a cut above all others
jamaica-gleaner.com
The Jamaica Conch Cluster is on track to achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for the conch fishery sector, an endorsement which will put it in a class by itself, following an indepe...- Likes: 4
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𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀
On March 30, Mr. Ian Mabon wrote a well-informed history on conch research in The Bahamas to Minister Clay Sweeting. As an update, Community Conch can add that conch exports in 2021 (newest gov’t figures available) were about 235,000 lbs. and declining. Graph below is based on official government landings and export data (Community Conch, 2023).
Officials at the Dept. of Marine Resources (DMR) has said that export of conch was stopped on a voluntary basis in Jan 2022. That means it is not illegal to export conch. The end of export is part of the draft Fisheries Regulations and will not be illegal until it passes through that process. In his response to Mr. Mabon, Minister Sweeting could update the public on the schedule for finalization of the draft Fisheries Regulations.
thenassauguardian.com/an-open-letter-to-minister-of-agriculture-and-marine-resources-clay-sweeting/
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Letter to Editor from Harbor Island Student about Overfishing
Thank you Asia Butler! Nice to hear from Bahamian youth who are concerned about the future of queen conch and know that lip thickness is the correct way to measure their maturity. Unfortunately, the government has not scheduled finalization of the draft rules about lip thickness or requiring landing in the shell. Perhaps a nationwide student campaign would speed things up.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Overfishing and species endangerment
ewnews.com
Dear Editor, Hello! My name is Asia Butler, a 17-year-old graduate of Harbour Island All Age School, Harbour Island, Eleuthera and one of the BREEF Bahamas Environmental Steward scholars for 2022-2023...TONIGHT! National Mangrove Project Workshop Apr 26, 2023 6 PM ET Join in to learn how to take part in preserving the Bahamas! Wed. Jan 26th, 10 am and 6 PM on Zoom www.facebook.com/1555772911308409/posts/3630712453814434/
𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗧 𝟳, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮, 𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗛 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗗
After 12 years of data consideration and lawsuits, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has concluded that Queen Conch is threatened in its range which includes The Bahamas, the Caribbean and Florida. Community Conch's data from density surveys and maturity research in The Bahamas has been considered in this decision along with data from our partners at the Shedd Aquarium.
NMFS is now requesting comments via electronic submissions provided in the link below. Please review the section on How to Comment on the Proposed Rule. The comment period ends on Nov 7th, 2022. Anyone can comment on the rule, including people outside of the US. Although NMFS is not proposing rules at this time, they are seeking information from the public on possible measures for conservation for possible future rule making.
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/bulletin/request-comments-proposed-rule-list-queen-conch-threatened-under-...
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𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱-𝟭𝟵 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗰𝗼
During the summer months of 2020, Mexican agents seized 7,000 pounds of illegally caught queen conch meat. This increase of about 15% since 2019 is attributed to lack of enforcement during the Covid-19 pandemic. The meat was harvested from the areas of the Chinchorro Bank, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres. The harvest of queen conch in Mexico is currently banned in February and from May through November.
www.riviera-maya-news.com/profepa-steps-up-surveillance-after-seizing-3-5-tons-of-illegally-fishe...
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𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝟐 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐧
New surveys of queen conch on the Pedro Bank, southwest of Jamaica, have indicated a 16% improvement in conch densities over the 2 year ban period. Commercial and artisanal conch fishing on a smaller scale will be allowed starting April 1 until a harvest quota is met.
jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20210127/conch-ban-be-lifted-april-1
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Conch ban to be lifted on April 1
jamaica-gleaner.com
Almost two years after the government announced a ban on the fishing of Queen Conch (genus Strombus), the National Fisheries Authority has given the green light for industrial and artisanal fishers to...
𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹
In December, Minister Michael Pintard publicly recognized that Queen conch are under threat in The Bahamas and announced management steps to sustain the dwindling resource.
This decision was based on a study primarily authored by the Senior Scientist at Community Conch, Dr. Allan Stoner. Dr. Stoner compiled his early 1990's conch survey data with seven years of Community Conch data (2009 to 2015) and more recent data from Dr. Andy Kough at the Shedd Aquarium to generate a 22 year data set that clearly demonstrates the significant decline of conch resources under the current rules and regulations. The study, "Relationships between Fishing Pressure and Stock Structure in Queen Conch (Lobatus gigas) Populations: Synthesis of Long-Term Surveys and Evidence for Overfishing in The Bahamas can be found on the our website (communityconch.org).
In addition to conducting surveys, in 2011 and 2012 Community Conch pioneered the research on conch maturity and determined that the lip thickness of a conch needs to be 15mm for 1/2 of adult conch to have a chance of mating. The current harvest rules requiring "a fully formed lip" have been subjected to broad interpretation or are often just ignored. For these reasons, Minister Pintard is now recommending landing in the shell so maturity can be checked.
These regulatory actions have been a long time coming, requiring not only years of surveys and science by several organizations but also innumerable presentations to stakeholders and community outreach to schools. Community Conch thanks Minister Pintard, Dr. Lester Gittens of the Dept. of Marine Resources, our primary local NGO partners (Dr. Eric Carey at the Bahamas National Trust, Ms. Natalie Miaoulis at The Nature Conservancy, Ms. Casurina McKinney at BREEF), and all Bahamians who have supported this effort to improve the management of this iconic species of The Bahamas and the Caribbean.
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Pintard: Ban on conch export by 2022
ewnews.com
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Minister of Agriculture Michael Pintard advised yesterday that there will be a ban on the export of conch from The Bahamas by 2022. Pintard made the announcement as he opened deba...It’s about time something is done about conch. It should have a season.
I hate to hear that conch fritters are going to be harder to find, but I'm glad they have decided to take action.
OECS project announced for sustainable harvest of conch
This Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) project focuses on certification of sustainably caught conch to increase trade and the cultivation of seaweed as an alternative livelihood for conch fisher persons.
sdg.iisd.org/news/project-promotes-blue-biotrade-in-east-caribbean-contributes-to-sdgs-14-and-12/
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Jamaica Closes Conch Fishery for 2nd Year
Last year, Jamaica closed its conch fishery from Mar 1, 2019 to Jan 31, 2020. Earlier this year, the closed season was extended 2 months to Mar 31, 2020. Now, the closed season for conch has been extended another year until February 28, 2021, citing results of ongoing scientific assessments. This extreme regulatory action is deemed necessary by the National Fisheries Authority for stock recovery.
In the Bahamas, stock surveys by Community Conch and the Shedd Aquarium document the ongoing decline of conch resources going back more than 20 years.
www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Conch_ban_extended_to_February_2021
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Conch ban extended to February 2021
www.jamaicaobserver.com
KINGSTON, Jamaica— The National Fisheries Authority (NFA), an agency of the Ministry of Ind...I was in the Bahamas in 2012 and saw massive piles of conch shells on the ocean floor from fishing. It was disgusting to see the overfishing. Many fisherman would go to other islands to fish them because they decimated their islands population. They need time to recoup their populations.
Wonderful!
Cracking Down on Conch
The US Coast Guard found 10 pounds of illegally imported conch on a sport fishing boat off Key Largo. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service there are several countries from where conch cannot be imported under U.S. law, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras and Trinidad and Tobago. The Bahamas is on the list of countries from which the commercial importation of queen conch is allowed, but private vessels cannot import the mollusks.
See full article here:
www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article239999643.html
A Georgia man plead guilty to illegally harvesting conch in the Florida Keys in 2017 and a Florida judge has sentenced him to 2 days in jail and $500 fine.
See full article here:
www.usnews.com/news/best-states/florida/articles/2020-02-06/georgia-man-pleads-guilty-to-harvesti...
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They filleted their fish at sea. That’s against the law, Coast Guard says
www.miamiherald.com
The U.S. Coast Guard stopped a sport fishing boat off Key Largo Monday and found several conservation violations, including the importation of queen conch, the harvest of which has been illegal in Flo...So what is the f.cking Bahamian waiting for to stop the illegal catches? Business and money as usual, WTF!
Closed season extended in Jamaica
The National Fisheries Authority in Jamaica has extended the closed season for the harvest of queen conch until March 31, 2020. It was initially set for March 1, 2019 to Jan 31, 2020.
See full article here:
www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/conch-closed-season-remains-in-effect-until-march-31_186597?profile=... .
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Conch closed season remains in effect until March 31
www.jamaicaobserver.com
THE National Fisheries Authority, an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agricu...
Fresh conch are hard to find in the Turks and Caicos this winter, and the price of conch is going up! A 3 month closed season has not improved conch stocks, so the TCI Minister of Environment suggests reducing the number of fishing licenses and slashing exports. The decline of Queen conch stocks is becoming apparent throughout the Caribbean; TCI is joined by The Bahamas, Jamaica, Belize... and no country wants to end up like Florida where the fishery was closed in 1975 and has yet to recover.
Community Conch continues to advocate for a lip thickness criteria for harvest because the majority of conch landed now have never had a chance to reproduce. It takes 4-5 years to reach sexual maturity. Harvest prior to maturity results in the downward spiral we are witnessing. We also recommend officially protecting conch nurseries, limiting entry into the fishery and banning the use of hookah and exports.
Here is the BBC article about conch in the Caicos:
www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51285893
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Loved to death: The battle to save the queen conch
www.bbc.com
The marine snail is a national symbol in Turks and Caicos but overfishing may spell its end.Great battle! Should be banned for 50 years, if possible! JMHO!
Support is growing for Community Conch's lip thickness research!
In a recent survey by The Nature Conservancy, 80% of Bahamians contacted support revising fishery laws to include a harvest regulation based on lip thickness. Community Conch recommends a minimum lip thickness of 15mm to allow for reproduction before harvest.
See Full Article from EyeWitness News Here: tinyurl.com/y6f5wj48
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Jamaica to ban fishing, sales and export of conch for one year or longer. Jamaica, long considered one of the best managed conch fisheries in the Caribbean banned the fishing of conch last Friday for one year but scientist Dr. Karl Aiken suggests the ban might need to be extended.
jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20190226/conch-ban-set-go-beyond-march-2020-writing-was-...
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Conch ban set to go beyond March 2020 - Writing was on the wall, says marine biologist
jamaica-gleaner.com
Analysis of data of the conch population off Jamaica’s coast indicates that the ban on the fishing, sale and export of queen conch (Genus strombus) will be extended well beyond the near one-year tim...Hard to believe that they made $600 million ‘a typo? They have a small platform
When the small hope to keep the conch away from extinction should live on, this needs to be done immerdiately and everywhere.
Conch crisis needs action bit.ly/2RSjjy6 ... See MoreSee Less
The export of Conch should have been stopped 20 years ago. That is the first step before considering a closed season.
Will The Bahamas Have Conch in Twenty Years? ... See MoreSee Less

Will The Bahamas Have Conch in Twenty Years?
appliedecology.cals.ncsu.edu
An excellent review paper on the status on the conch fishery in The Bahamas, based on research spanning more than 22 years. Much of this research associated with the organization Community Conch (www....There are a couple of new projects starting...this is one to watch. ... See MoreSee Less

80% conch drop threatens lives of 9,000 fishermen
www.tribune242.com
THE livelihoods of more than 9,000 Bahamian fishermen and their families are under threat from the 80 per cent conch population decline since the 1980s, it has been revealed.An Inter-American Developm...A genetic study of conch populations by Dr. Nathan Truelove of the Smithsonian Institute that we assisted with... ... See MoreSee Less

Declining queen conch populations are fragmented and that's changing the conservation game
phys.org
The queen conch, a marine mollusk prized for its edible meat and its glossy shell, is one of the most economically and culturally important species in the Caribbean. In the past few decades, intense i...Another great way to communicate what we now know about these species and how to use that scientific knowledge to make sure protection is adequate.It is recommended that marine protected area networks include fishery replenishment zones. Replenishment Zones are areas where fish can grow and reproduce with less human disturbance. They also need to be combined with other fisheries management tools for species that move long distances and are likely to leave the protected area. ... See MoreSee Less
Great info graphic.All fish species are different and some take longer to recover from fishing and other pressures than others. We need replenishment zones within our network of marine protected areas to allow these vulnerable species to grow, reproduce and recover from human and natural disturbances.
To learn more about 'Replenishment / No Take Zones' click the link below:
act.oceanconservancy.org/site/DocServer/marineProtectedAreasQA.pdf?docID=215
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Woman Arrested After Illegally Harvesting 40 Queen Conch ... See MoreSee Less

Woman Arrested After Illegally Harvesting 40 Queen Conch
www.nbcmiami.com
A Texas woman was arrested in Key West Thursday after she was found in possession of 40 queen conch, a protected species in the state of Florida.Yikes! They are serious over there. We need to be tough on poaching here in Bahamas as well!
And they are undersized as well.
way to go FWC!!!
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www.thebahamasweekly.com/publish/local/Scientists_Publish_Study_on_Bahamian_Conch_Population_prin... ... See MoreSee Less
thebahamasweekly.com - Scientists Publish Study on Bahamian Conch Population
www.thebahamasweekly.com
Shedd Aquarium photo of a Queen Conch grass bed New Study Shows a Caribbean Queen Conch Population is Slowly Dying of Old Age Within a Marine Sanctuary