Credit: Steve Hillebrand/USFWS

Traveling to the Caribbean?
Please read the Buyer Beware Caribbeanbrochure for more information on a variety of wildlife and wildlife species you may see for sale in the Caribbean.

Queen Conch Import Information
The queen conch 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. Queen conch populations in several 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 (Service) prohibits imports of queen conch into the United States from Haiti and Grenada.
The Service’s factsheet, Importing Queen Conch: What You Need To Know , has important tips for those interested in importing conch from the Caribbean. Please read the Buyer Beware Caribbeanbrochure for more information on a variety of wildlife and wildlife species you may see for sale in the Caribbean.

The Service Law Enforcement Public Bulletin gives detailed information about legal aspects of importing queen conch into the United States. Read the most recent notice on Queen Conch, banning its import from several countries. The countries form which imports are current banned are listed below.

For general information on CITES permit requirements, click here .

For additional tips for travellers, visit the Office of Law Enforcement.