As of Tuesday, October 1st, the Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) season officially opened in Belize. As one of the country’s main seafood staples and a leading export marine product, the opening of the conch season is a significant event for the local economy. Fishers in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, welcomed the anticipated season. They headed out early and returned later in the day with plenty of conchs in their first catch of the season. The queen conch season will remain open until June 30, 2025, or until the seasonal production quota is met.
Some San Pedro fishers brought fresh catch to the Embarcadero area around midday. Some had already removed the shell, while others returned with it still in it. The fishermen shared that the fishing areas around Ambergris Caye count with a sustainable conch stock. One fisherman said that sometimes they may not find enough conch in an area due to bad weather. Other times, it could be because of illegal fishing and/or irresponsible fishing. They stress the Belize Fisheries Department’s (BFD) crucial role in monitoring fishing activities out at sea to protect the country’s queen conch stock.
While conch fishing has started, the BFD has yet to set a seasonal quota. They briefly told The Sun that they are completing their analysis on the last season and will announce the 2024-2025 quota later this month. The quota for the 2023-2024 season was 950,000 pounds. At the end of the season, a total of 940,239 pounds were produced. The BFD said it was less than the set quota because some Fisher Cooperatives did not complete their quotas. In San Pedro, most of the conch harvested is sold locally to restaurants catering to the tourism industry. The price for conch meat starts from BZ$18 per pound.
For the new season, the BFD informs the public, particularly fishermen, of the regulations to be followed when fishing for the queen conch. The shell length of harvested conchs must exceed seven inches, and the market clean and fillet weight should be over three and 2.75 ounces, respectively. The Hol Chan Marine Reserve in San Pedro warns
fishermen/customers not to buy, sell, or have fillet or diced conch meat other than market clean conch. They also advised restaurateurs against having fillet or diced conch unless it is being prepped for immediate serving or cooking. Fisher-folks are also reminded they must have a valid commercial fisherfolk license, and the vessel must be licensed with the BFD to fish for conch.
Failure to do so can result in penalties such as a $500 fine, imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both fine and imprisonment. In the case of illegal fishing, a person found guilty of the offense can be charged per individual conch shell, normally around $50.
The BFD urges the public to remain vigilant and report any illegal fisheries activity by calling 224-4552 or 223-2623. They can also email [email protected]. In San Pedro, they can contact the Hol Chan Marine Reserve at 226-2247 or visit their offices on Caribeña Street. Any information will be treated with the strictest confidence.
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