Queen Conch season officially opens in Belize

Belize’s queen conch season officially opened on Thursday, October 1, bringing one of the country’s most popular seafood products back to markets and restaurant menus. For fishers in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, the season adds another income stream to their fishing businesses. It also means restaurants can once again serve favorites such as conch ceviche and conch soup.
San Pedro fishers headed out early on opening day and returned with fresh conch. At the Embarcadero, west of downtown, some restaurateurs were waiting to collect their orders as fishers removed the shells and cleaned the meat. The season is scheduled to remain open until June 30, 2027, unless the national production quota is reached earlier.
Conch is valuable beyond the local market. According to the Belize Fisheries Department’s latest detailed annual figures, the country exported 952,200 pounds of queen conch in the 2024-2025 season, valued at approximately BZ$13.36 million. Conch and spiny lobster accounted for most of the marine capture fisheries sector’s export earnings that year. Those figures show why the resource matters to fishers, seafood processors, the wider economy, and San Pedro’s restaurants.
Local fishers said productive conch fishing grounds still exist around Ambergris Caye, but they want more protection for the resource. Fisherman Francisco Morales said poor catches in a particular area can sometimes be linked to bad weather, while illegal or irresponsible fishing may also put pressure on conch stocks. He and other fishers called on the Belize Fisheries Department (BFD) to continue monitoring fishing activity at sea. “We need to protect this fisheries resources that supports fishers and the tourism industry,” Morales said.
Fisherman Richard Zetina said some conch fishing grounds lie off the island’s northern coast, where there is less development and human activity.
Although the season is scheduled to run until the end of June, it can close early if the quota is met. The 2025–2026 season closed in early April 2026, demonstrating that the advertised end date is not guaranteed.
The BFD reminds fishers that they must hold a valid commercial fisherfolk license and use a licensed vessel. Size and meat-weight requirements also apply to harvested conch. Consumers and restaurateurs are urged to follow the rules on the sale and possession of cleaned, filleted, or diced conch meat.
Suspected illegal fishing can be reported to the BFD at 224-4552 or 223-2623, or by email at seniorfisheriesofficer@fisheries.gov.bz. In San Pedro, you can also report to Hol Chan Marine Reserve at 226-2247 or at its office on Caribeña Street.