In Belize, tourists travel thousands of miles to enjoy the country’s seafood, which features a variety of seasonal conch dishes, including conch soup, conch fritters, stewed conch, fried conch, and the most popular dish, conch ceviche (made with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime, salt, and pepper). These delicacies have been enjoyed for decades; however, a lingering question remains: how much of the stock is left in the sea?
The Belize Fisheries Department (BFD) asserts that the stock of the national queen conch (Strombus gigas) is healthy and robust. However, experts in fisheries question the methods used to assess this stock. Concerns have also been raised regarding the BFD’s biological surveys, as the models currently employed to set quotas are considered outdated.
According to the BFD, during the 2023-2024 season, the total production of harvested conch was 953,900 pounds, with 85% being market-clean, meaning the conch has been removed from the shell. This production figure remains consistent within the range of past seasonal quotas. The BFD reported that the 2023-2024 queen conch season generated US$6,559,090 in foreign exchange earnings for the country, making conch the second-highest economic earner after lobster in Belize.
Additionally, the BFD indicated that the quota system effectively demonstrates the sustainability of the stock. They noted that annual quotas are consistently met, which occasionally leads to the early closure of the season, which runs from October to June. In their opinion, this suggests that conch populations are not being overharvested. While quotas have fluctuated over the years, they have remained below one million pounds since the 2014-2015 season.
Dr. Allan Stoner, the chief scientist for the non-profit organization Community Conch, which focuses on The Bahamas, stated that it is relatively good news if Belize meets its quotas every season. He emphasized that this practice is commendable, especially since other countries in the region do not have quotas in place. However, he raised concerns about the sustainability of this practice. The BFD has noted that the shallow-water conch population depends on the deep-water spawning stock, but no assessment has been conducted on that stock. Stoner cautioned that if reports only show an increase in conch catches, it might be due to heightened fishing efforts rather than an actual increase in the conch population. “The sustainability of the fishery does not depend on the stocks that the fishers are harvesting,” he explained. “Those shallow water conchs come from deep waters. If all of them are fished, more will emerge from the deep waters. But if we do not know whether the spawning stock is stable, then the potential loss of that stock could have a large impact on the sustainability of the fishery,” he explained. Stoner suggested that additional surveys on the deep-water spawning stock must be completed to ensure it is robust and can continue maintaining the shallow-water queen conch population.
Stoner discussed the reproductive rate of conchs. Queen conch hatch from eggs as marine, microscopic larvae and spend time near the water’s surface, feeding on phytoplankton. Once they fully mature, adult queen conch develop large, decorative shells and reach sexual maturity around three to four years. At this point, their shells stop growing in length and instead begin to thicken at the flared lip. The scientist emphasized the importance of allowing juvenile conchs, particularly those from deeper habitats, to reach sexual maturity, as these populations are vital for the overall health of the conch population in Belize. “If the shallow water stock is dependent on spawners in deep habitats, then removing the young conch before they reproduce from that area will be a serious limitation,” Stoner noted. According to him, assessing the deep-water fish stocks in Belize is crucial to determine whether any factors affect these spawning populations. In the worst-case scenario, there could be a gradual decline in these stocks if they are being sourced from unsustainable locations. Stoner noted that in previous research projects conducted in The Bahamas, his team discovered deep-water fish stocks had declined by nearly 90% over two years. Currently, the BFD is in the process of conducting assessments of Belize’s deep-water stocks.
Fisher-folk share opinions on the status of the queen conch population
On October 1st, the 2024-2025 queen conch season officially opened in Belize. Fisherfolk across the country ventured out early in the morning to catch the popular gastropod. In San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, an island driven by tourism and fishing, fishermen reported a successful first day with plenty of conch. Some fishermen had already removed the conch from its shell, while others completed the whole process at the dock.
These initial catches of the day were quickly sold to local restaurants for BZ$18 per pound. However, some veteran fishermen noted that the fishing areas around Ambergris Caye have seen a decline in conch populations each year for various reasons.
The Marin family mentioned that bad weather, particularly storms, can significantly limit fishing opportunities, making it dangerous to be at sea. One of the fishermen, Joshua Marin, explained that conch can be elusive during stormy conditions as they tend to bury themselves in the seabed or migrate to other areas. “Other times, it could be because of irresponsible fishing,” Joshua said. “This includes fishermen overfishing and even fishing too many juvenile conchs. But we believe the Belize Fisheries Department needs to review who has fishing licenses and continue monitoring fishing activities out at sea to protect the country’s queen conch stock.” The fishing family observed that the only area where they noticed a decline in activity was around Turneffe Atoll, near the famous Blue Hole. They have two hypotheses: conch may migrate away from this area, or fishermen from other countries may illegally fish in these waters far out at sea.
Nestor Rivero is another fisherman from Ambergris Caye who agrees that there is a sustainable queen conch population near the island. However, he noted that fishing efforts are higher in other areas to the south. “I believe this is due to overfishing and poaching as well. This is the villain in this story; enforcement is poor by authorities, and as such, in some areas of the country, the decline in the queen conch population is obvious,” Rivero said. “The fishing pressure is focused on shallow areas, where large aggregations of juvenile conch are easily accessible. As a result, the unsustainable fishing of juvenile conchs takes the chances for the young conch to reproduce.”
Regarding deep-water spawners, veteran fisherman Francisco Morales stated that the Fisheries Department can no longer rely on this stock. “This stock may already be compromised… no one knows,” he said. “However, we will not wait for anyone to save our livelihoods; we will continue to monitor and protect our fishing grounds.” Morales also pointed out that overfishing is a significant issue and the primary cause of the decline in Belize’s queen conch population. He noted that in areas like Turneffe, fishing efforts are increasing, leading to more significant pressure on juvenile conch.
This was corroborated by a 2021 research paper published in Gulf and Caribbean Research led by Elsa Brenner titled ‘The Adaptive Capacity of the Turneffe Atoll, Belize, Queen Conch Fishery’ (https://shorturl.at/DUdyM). Brenner is an expert in marine and coastal management based in Denmark. The study’s findings revealed that most harvested conch—approximately 87.4%—were longer than the legal size of 7 inches. This suggests that fishers are following the Fisheries Department’s regulations. However, about 73.3% of the conch caught fell below the maturity threshold, which does not always align with the length regulations. According to her research, this practice results in harvesting sub-adult queen conch, which is not recommended for maintaining a sustainable stock and supporting the fishing community.
What other independent research says about Belize’s fisheries
According to findings presented in a series of workshops held between June and December 2023, led by the Belize Federation of Fishers (BFF), queen conch and lobster populations are reportedly overfished and approaching depletion. This scientific data was compiled through a partnership of institutions involved in the Belize Fisheries Project (BFP), including the Environmental Law Institute, Sea Around Us, the Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative, Comunidad y Biodiversidad, and MRAG Americas. 
These findings support the claims made by the BFF, which continues to assert that fisheries in Belize, particularly conch, are in crisis. George Myvett, the BFF’s Technical Advisor and a dedicated advocate for conservation, has been raising concerns about the situation facing the queen conch. He emphasizes an issue identified by experts and some fishermen: the harvesting of juvenile conchs.
“It is known that most of the conch fished in Belize are immature and have not had a chance to reproduce before they are taken out of the fishery,” said Myvett. “If this is so, they are unable to reproduce, further jeopardizing the conch fishery in Belize.” The BFD disagrees with the BFF and questions their survey methods. Myvett explained that their method is maximum sustainable yield (MSY). “The method, in principle, is an estimation of conch density over a given area over time,” he explained. “It is driven by a visual survey over the geographic span of the conch habitat. It entails a census of juvenile, sub-adult, and sexually mature conchs. Once the total biomass is determined, the MSY is established.” Myvett explained that the BFP utilized this method and serves as the foundation for the annual quota assigned to fishing cooperatives by the Fisheries Department.
The stock analysis conducted by the BFF on marine species threatened by overfishing indicates that several species, including the Belizean queen conch, are classified as overfished. BFF’s Executive Director, Nigel Martinez, has publicly stated that Belize’s fisheries are in crisis. “We have reported this not only based on scientific evidence but also because our members have consistently informed us of the ongoing decline in fisheries,” Martinez explained. He emphasized that the BFD has not provided a clear stock assessment. Although the department claims to conduct its stock assessments, Martinez pointed out that they reportedly do not incorporate feedback from fishers, suggesting that their reports may not be accurate.
In contrast, Oceana’s latest fisheries audit report, released in February 2022, states that neither conch nor lobster is considered overfished. This assessment is based on evaluations conducted in 2019 by marine ecologist and independent researcher Alexander Tewfik.
Oceana’s audit report highlighted that various surveys of individual marine reserves show different trends in local queen conch populations, including increases, decreases, and some unclear trends. This suggests a potential issue with illegal fishing. In particular, the Port Honduras Marine Reserve (PHMR) has provided strong evidence from a 2016 survey led by conch scientist James Foley, currently working with The Nature Conservancy. The survey revealed that conch densities were below the level necessary for healthy reproduction. The report expressed serious concern about the sustainability of conch extraction in PHMR, noting that conch density has been continuously declining since monitoring began in 2009. Additionally, these surveys indicated a recurring decrease in conch replenishment in recent years. This decline is attributed to the previously observed trends of higher conch densities after closed seasons in both Replenishment Zones and General Use Zones of PHMR, which have not occurred since 2013.
Belize Fisheries Department challenges these research results
Despite surveys and the findings from independent research conducted by marine species professionals, the BFD asserts that the status of the queen conch in Belize remains healthy and robust, with consistently high annual recruitment over time. However, BFF members argue that the government has not provided sufficient data to support its claims that queen conch stocks and fisheries are stable.
The BFD supplied reports when requested but did not provide the raw data or methodologies. BFD fisheries officers Mauro Gongora and Kenneth Esquivel explained that their sustainable fishing efforts have contributed to the protection of the conch stock. They attribute this success to a catch quota system that is estimated annually based on information derived from rigorous and systematic scientific stock assessments.
Gongora mentioned that they use Surplus Production Models as part of their methodology. This approach integrates the overall effects of recruitment, growth, and mortality into a single production function that addresses undifferentiated biomass. He further noted that since 2001, Dr. Richard Appeldoorn from the University of Puerto Rico has assisted in providing stock assessment training to BFD personnel.
According to Esquivel, their data shows that the country’s queen conch population is stable. “We do survey every year and work with many organisations across the country, such as the Hol Chan Marine Reserve on Ambergris Caye,” he said. The BFD duo briefly explained that their conch field survey entails an underwater visual methodology consisting of four to seven persons who carry out the underwater belt transects measuring 100 meters long by 2 meters wide, covering an area of 400 square meters in the queen conch habitats across identified areas of the coast of Belize. “Two persons will swim along each belt transect and collect and measure every queen conch found along each transect. Divers are equipped with fiberglass measuring tape, snorkeling gear, SCUBA equipment, pencil, ruler and calibrated caliper, underwater writing slate, Global Positioning System, and other equipment,” Esquivel explained. The information on conchs found is recorded, including shell length, lip thickness to the nearest 0.1 mm, and the habitat depth and description.
Another method used involves determining the sample size. This process is like a field survey but includes designated sampling stations where the dimensions of the conchs are measured. Esquivel mentioned that the habitat maps for queen conchs are created by the BFD and validated by local fishermen. These maps are based on the fishing grounds that biologists have identified as suitable habitats where queen conchs are most likely to be found.
“This method has been applied since 2003. We established the size classes in Belize, shell length of 7 inches, through cooperation with Dr. Richard Appeldoorn from the University of Puerto Rico,” Gongora said. “All our science to determine our stock is based on work done previously by Dr. Appeldoorn. Let me tell you that when we calculate the seasonal catch quotas, it is only based on legal size animals and greater.” Gongora stated that his partnership with Dr. Appeldoorn began in 1996, during which he adopted a methodology he developed based on a study titled “Stock Abundance and Potential Yield of the Queen Conch Resource in Belize.” He explained that this methodology aids in understanding the population performance indicators of the fishery and provides estimates that are within or exceed target reference points alongside biological reference points related to available biomass. While no additional references or links were provided to support this information, recent research suggests this method may be inaccurate. It indicates that measuring lip thickness could be a more effective way to identify sexually mature conchs rather than solely relying on shell length. 
Gongora explained why the fishery is sustainable. He stated that queen conch harvesting is managed by requiring a minimum shell length of 7 inches, which is vital due to the shallow nature of this fishing. Additionally, there is a minimum clean meat weight of 3 ounces (without the shell). The fishing season is closed each year from July 1 to September 30, or whenever the annual fishing quota is reached, based on the total landings reported by the cooperatives.
In recent years, the seasonal quotas have exceeded 900,000 pounds and are distributed among five primary fishermen cooperatives. These cooperatives are responsible for recording conch landings and processing the conch meat for export. The cooperatives include the National Fishermen Producers Co-operative Society Ltd, Northern Fishermen Cooperative, Fein Catch Company, Rainforest Seafood Ltd, and Rio Grande Fishermen Cooperative.
The BFD noted another reason for the successful conch stock in the country is the restriction on using scuba gear for commercial fishing since 1977. “This is what keeps our deep-water adult spawning stock healthy and consistently supplies abundant recruits and sub-adults to the shallow fishing areas, which are usually between five to 75 feet deep,” Esquivel said. 
In their report, Esquivel and Gongora pointed out that the national Queen Conch Mean Density was estimated at 403 conch per hectare, an increase of 85.7% compared to the 2022 season, which recorded 217.1 conch per hectare. “Although the shell length was estimated at 145.1mm, representing a decrease of 4.4% when compared to 2022’s 151.8mm, it was a result of the higher abundance of young recruits into the population,” Gongora noted. The national survey results indicated that 21% of the conch population is considered legal size, while 79% are sub-adult. Although the percentage of legal-size conchs may seem low, it corresponds to an estimated weight of 1,455,421 pounds. This represents a 9.2% increase compared to the 2022 biomass of 1,332,647 pounds for maximum sustainable yield. According to the report, the population composition is significantly influenced by the high abundance of sub-adults. 
Gongora and Esquivel spoke about the fluctuation in conch harvesting over the years. “It does not mean that the stock is in crisis or the conch population is declining,” Gongora said. “The seasonal production can be affected by many factors, which are mainly weather disturbances like tropical storms and hurricanes.” The government is focusing on improving the monitoring of illegal fishing and enforcing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in response to reported declines in certain areas. They believe that the conch population within the MPAs helps replenish fishing areas, similar to deep-water stocks.
It is important to note that local consumption of queen conch has not been recorded. To address this, the BFD stated it will begin collecting data to better understand queen conch consumption in Belize.
An observation from Dr. Appeldoorn
A career professor of fish biology and coral reef studies at the University of Puerto Rico, Dr. Appeldoorn, commented on the current methodology used by the BFD on queen conch surveys. He criticized the methodology, saying that if they were still using his approach, the results of the surveys might be inaccurate. “My summary assessment is that it is sufficiently vague or with errors that it cannot be determined if what they are doing is credible or not,” he commented. “It all revolves around how they do their random sampling, something I have not been personally involved with.” He continued by saying that the statistical sampling is based on the random placement of transects with strata. “From this, it is not clear if they are determining new transect locations randomly for each survey or just repeat sampling of the same areas year after year. It’s hard to say. Either approach can be valid, but the interpretation of the results will be different. Again, the language is vague,” he said.
Dr. Appeldoorn said the method used by the Sea Around Us program, CMSY++, for catch MSY, based on catch data with the ++ indicating it has been refined and improved several times, is much more reliable. “It is still based on a simple surplus production model, but using different assumptions, but importantly not requiring population equilibrium,” he explained. He mentioned that the Belize Fisheries Project, also led by Sea Around Us, used this method and showed that the current conch harvest is unsustainable.” Dr. Appeldoorn retired in 2017 but remains active in conch fisheries and management. He co-authored the Caribbean Regional Queen Conch Management Plan for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Additionally, he serves as a member of the Queen Conch Science and Statistics Technical Advisory Committee, which guides the Queen Conch Working Group—a regional management initiative jointly organized by the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council and the FAO of the United Nations. He is drafting guidelines for non-detrimental findings regarding queen conch, as established by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Moving forward
The tale of Belize’s queen conch’s survival is a long, complex, and unresolved story. As a significant part of the Belizean economy and cultural heritage, this gastropod remains vulnerable to habitat loss, overfishing, and unsustainable harvesting threats. The cooperation of all stakeholders—including fishermen and those in the tourism industry—is essential.
The queen conch is listed in Appendix II of CITES as an endangered marine species. Furthermore, in 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries classified it as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Experts in fisheries, like Dr. Stoner, recognize the value of Belize’s conch management policies, including marine protected areas that support some spawning stock, closed seasons, and harvest quotas. However, he emphasized that fisher surveys and analyses provided by the Belize Fisheries Project demonstrate a significant decline in conch stocks. “The quotas are only effective if the underlying surveys and models are robust,” he noted.
By Dion Vansen
Edited by Tamara Sniffin
This story was produced with the support of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network.
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