AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Bye bye conch...

I hope that the Belizeans are good story tellers.

They will need to be able to tell their grandchildren about the days when conch could be found throughout the shallow waters of Belize. Families could make their living from these beautiful creatures. The children will only know conch from the old shells they see.

Living conch on the beach in the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve April 2011.


They will need to be able to describe to them the taste of conch, because their generation won't know what it tastes like.

Undersized conch in Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve April 15, 2012.

This is the shell pile left yesterday afternoon. Cerviche available today in San Pedro. Who will eat the last conch?

I don't at all disagree that steps are needed to protect the (declining) populations of conch, lobster, grouper... and heck, arguably most of the ocean's fisheries. I DO think there's room for improvement in the manner in which Belize tries to accomplish this. With respect to this year's decision on conch, my sole complaint is that a little more notice would have been nice. "We're closing the season next week. Apologies to those restaurants/resorts who say, may have just purchased a couple hundred lbs to last them the rest of the season, you can't use it." I mean if such is now kept in freezers will one be fined?

With respect to lobster, I've LONG maintained that the BHA endorsed "Lobster Project" to grant permits for establishments to sell lobster in the off season is the biggest crock of SH#T ever. It's impossible to enforce and all it does is encourage poaching in the off season. It's also a disservice to tourists, as if a restaurant DOES try to comply with the rules, they have to either sell lobster at all but a loss or charge such an exorbitant price for it Belize looks ridiculous (what did the BHA charge participants this past year? $35/lb???) It's a BIGGER disservice to export our resources at the expense of the country's own tourism industry (what has Red Lobster done for Belize lately?)

Obviously the problem is the resources (or lack there of) to police what is being caught/harvested. A great step to maximize the limited resources is stupidly simple though (and is very effective in other countries.) If you are caught with undersize/out of season ANYTHING, your boat and any other vessels/autos associated with the crime are seized on the spot. No recourse, no appeal, no preferential treatment. They're gone. They are not yours anymore. This is not in lieu of a fine/other sentence, this is just the immediate first step that is done on the spot. Those 2" lobsters and undersize conch might be less appealing to catch if you ran the risk of walking back to town from Bacalar Chico.

So for the next two months when tourists sit down to eat and want seafood, they'll have the choice of, well... fish. Or farm raised shrimp (though that gets scarce at times.) Problem is that there's not much fish to be had either. If one's lucky, you can catch one of the boats coming in from Turneffe to see what's to be had out there. Or you can serve farm raised tilapia. The lion fish are getting bigger nowadays though, we can eat those...

They have a conch farm in Turks & Caicos, which is really interesting. Conch World in Turks & Caicos

oh what a bummer, 2 months early! Conch, yummy.

Going to miss Caroline's conch curry. I never can get her to make it spicy enough...I'm always up for a good conch curry. Over the top spicy or not, its just plain mouth candy.

I am sure she can make an equally delicious fish curry!

Conch season to close next Monday

The annual closing of the conch fishing season takes effect midnight, next Monday, April 23, two months before it typically closes and the earliest the season has ever closed, we understand.

On Friday, April 13, Fisheries Minister Lisel Alamilla met in Belize City with officials of the Belize Fisheries Department and leaders of the fishing industry to discuss the "exhaustion of the conch quota" by fishing cooperatives during the current season.

It was agreed that fishermen would have ten days from April 13, the date of the meeting, to conclude their operations. Deliveries of conch to the cooperatives and sales would cease at midnight on April 23, as the closed season will take effect on April 24.

The traditional closed season for conch, according to the Fisheries Department, runs from June 30 to September 30.

According to the Fisheries Department, by the time the fishermen haul in their nets next week, the quota of conch under the maximum sustainable yield (MSY), already increased to 85%, will be approaching 90%, which they contend will not allow the conch stock to properly replenish itself, resulting in unnecessary loss of a species already deemed endangered.

James Azueta, acting administrator for the Fisheries Department, today explained that the typical MSY is 764,970 lbs, 75% is the quota. This year, that was increased to 85%, or 866,251 lbs, but even so, the numbers keep rising.

Azueta attributes the rise to a greater number of fishermen employed in the trade, which in Belize is open access for persons resident in Belize, citizen or not, for six months, to obtain a license.

He also told us that Belize has been enjoying good weather and last year was spared major storms and hurricanes, which typically help to increase the stock.

A national survey done every two years is coming up in July, which Azueta told us will help the Fisheries Department to assess whether an increase in the quota is needed to keep up with the trends.

The Department is currently conducting an inventory of restaurants selling co nch (used as a popular ingredient in conch soup, conch fritters and conch ceviche) and has set a time limit of May 12 to deplete all conch in stock. Exports of conch by the major processing companies, including Belize City-based National Fishermen Cooperative Society and Northern Fishermen Cooperative Society, and by visitors to Belize (at a limit of 20 lbs per person) will be allowed only up to April 30.

The closure runs until September 30, concurrently with the lobster season, which closed in February and reopens in mid-June.

Azueta told us that the Department would consider returning to the regular closed season schedule next year if the quota is not reached.

In a related story, a spokeswoman for National Fishermen Producers Coop told us this afternoon that that company has not made a decision as to what it will do with its staff and intends to sit down shortly and discuss it in light of an imminent closure. The factory on Angel Lane has slowed down now that the cooperative no longer produces fish for export, and lobster and now conch are in closed season.

We left a message for the general manager of Northern Fishermen Cooperative Society Ltd. on North Front Street, to discuss that company's plans, but as of press time, he has yet to return our call.

Amandala

We CAN Have Our Conch and Eat it too!

One of the prettiest gifts from our Caribbean Sea is the Queen Conch. Her curvaceous pink shell swells with a polished pride that merits her regal name. Whether you simply admire her for her calcified abode that is synonymous with island life or you prefer to eat her fried, in soup or a tangy ceviche, this royal mollusc is in dire need of our help.

This week we report on a decision made by the Ministry of Fisheries to close the conch season a full two months before its traditional June 30th closing. Now internationally listed as an endangered species, it is surprising that we are allowed to gather this delicacy of the sea at all. With the fine line of sustainable harvest in the balance, it is essential that we look at all the angles of why this ornate snail is endangered.

Imposing a fishing season is certainly paramount in preserving the population while allowing it the time to propagate. However this is just the first step in protecting the conch population that our fisher folk and national economy depends on. Where the real problem lies is illegal harvesting during the closed season and the collecting of young, undersized conch when the season is in effect. Although there are clear laws against these actions, there is limited effort to enforce them or respect them.

The Belize Fisheries Department and the Forestry Department, like many other departments in our government, are grossly understaffed. With a handful of officers to oversee the entire country, it is understandable why illegal acts go un-noticed. However local police officials are also empowered to enforce these laws but are unfortunately not savvy to what those laws may be. Ultimately it comes down to individuals who are aware of the law but choose to disregard it, knowing their chances of being caught are minimal. This is where community responsibility comes into play.

Individuals who choose to illegally collect conch need to be held accountable by their peers. Their actions directly impact the efforts of others who depend on conch for their livelihood and the very economic future of Belize fisheries income. These criminals are simply living for the moment to make a buck without consideration of how these actions influence the future. Because Fishery officers are at a minimum, others need to hold a watchful eye for any wrong doing and report the actions to the police or the Fisheries Department. Self policing can be an effective way to put an end to these illegal actions, and those who purchase conch need to refrain from doing so during the closed season. If there is no demand for it there is less incentive to hunt it.

Whether you are a fisherman who depends on conch for an income, or a consumer you enjoys a tasty fritter, we can all do our part in conserving this creature. With proper management and enforcement of the laws that are in place, we CAN have our conch and eat it too.

EDITORIAL: San Pedro Sun

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Horse conch is NOT part of the conch season and can be caught and eaten all year round. Also, the last day to catch and sell conch was April 24th. If any restaurants or shops have conch in stock, they are allowed to sell the conch until May 12, 2012. So you still have a chance to eat it...