TRAVELING TO THE CARIBBEAN?
The queen conch (pronounced “konk”) is found throughout the
Caribbean, northward into the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Atlantic Ocean
around Bermuda. Its numbers are rapidly decreasing due to over-fishing
and poaching throughout its range. Queen conch is listed by CITES in Appendix
II. Following an extensive review,
the CITES Secretariat has notified Party
countries of an import suspension on all queen conch from Haiti, and
that the Dominican Republic and Honduras have agreed to suspend all
queen conch international trade. Queen conch populations in these countries'
waters are severely depleted, and fishery controls are inadequate to
stop over-exploitation. When traveling to the Caribbean please be aware
that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service prohibits imports of queen
conch into the United States from the Dominican  Republic,
Haiti and Honduras.
Queen conch trade suspensions with Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica
and Trinidad and Tobago have been in place for several years and continue
today.
Queen conch may not be imported from these countries until further notice.
QUEEN CONCH IMPORT INFORMATION
The Service Fact Sheet, Importing
Queen Conch: What You Need To Know, has important tips for travelers
to the Caribbean. The USFWS Law
Enforcement Public Bulletin gives detailed information about legal
aspects of importing queen conch into the United States. You can also
read the USFWS Press
Release on the queen conch import ban. To learn about countries not
affected by this ban, read Countries
from which queen conch imports may be allowed.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Queen conch meat is consumed domestically throughout the Caribbean
and exported is as a delicacy. Conch shells and shell jewelry are sold
to tourists while live animals are used for the aquarium trade.
- Queen conch has been listed in CITES Appendix II since 1992.
- It is listed by Florida as a protected species, where it is illegal
to take any specimens.
- Their slow growth, occurrence in shallow waters, late maturation,
and mass spawning make queen conch particularly susceptible to over-fishing,
their greatest threat.
- Habitat degradation, over-fishing, and the use of SCUBA have led
to harvest of previously unexploited populations in deeper waters.
- The United States is responsible for the consumption of 80% of the
world’s internationally traded queen conch
OTHER QUEEN CONCH LINKS
Questions
about Importing/Exporting Wildlife
Cool
Queen Conch Facts
Buyer Beware Caribbean
Brochure
NMFS/NOAA
Conch Information
Florida
Marine Research Institute Conch Facts to download
Caribbean
Fisheries Management Council International Queen Conch Initiative
Harbor
Branch Oceanographic Breakthrough Event in Queen Conch Research |
