queen conch

The Fisheries Administrator hereby reminds the public that in accordance with the Fisheries Resources Act Chapter 210 of the Laws of Belize, the Conch Season will officially open from October 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. The public is advised that if the conch production quota is realized earlier, the conch season will be declared closed.

The Compliance and Enforcement Unit at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve (HCMR) has been busy conducting patrols with the San Pedro Police Formation, both at sea and on the island. These joint efforts recently led to several individuals being arrested and charged with different offenses. These included possession of lobster during the closed season, possession of undersized Queen Conch in shell that did not exceed seven inches in length during the open season, possession of unprocessed Conch that did not exceed 7.5 ounces in weight during the open season, possession of market clean (partially processed) conch that did not exceed three ounces in weight during the open season, and possession of conch during the closed season. These offenses carry penalties starting from $500 fines or up to two years imprisonment.

On Sunday, October 1st, the Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) and the Florida Stone Crab (Menippe mercenaria) fishing seasons officially open. In the case of the Stone Crab, of which only the claws are harvested, the season will close on June 30, 2024, while the Queen Conch closing season is the same as the Stone Crab’s. The season will close if the conch production quota is filled earlier.

Two Belize City fishermen have been slapped with almost $100,000 in fines for catching out-of-season lobster, queen conch, and angelfish, a protected species in Belize. The fishermen, identified as 40-year-old captain Randolph Aragon and 30-year-old Vidal Orellano, were also penalized for fishing without a valid fisherfolk license. The pair pled guilty and were arraigned on Wednesday, June 7th, at the Belize City Magistrate Court. For their cooperation, the court allowed them to split the hefty penalty.

The Belize Fisheries Department reminds everyone that the season of the Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) will close on Sunday, May 14th. All fishing activities for the Queen Conch should cease as of this date until the next season, opening on October 1, 2023.

The Queen Conch season officially opens from October 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. The Belize Fisheries Department reminds the public that although the closing month for the season isn’t until June 2023, if the conch production quota is realized earlier, the season will be declared closed. In recent years, that quota has been set at 925,000 pounds.

The Belize Fisheries Department hereby informs all fishers and the Public that in accordance with Statutory Instrument No. 54 of 2012, the Honourable Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation will declare the Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) fishery closed at the close of business on June 26th, 2022. This is necessary due to the realization of the Queen Conch Production Quota for the 2021-2022 fishing season.

On Thursday, March 10th, Oceana Belize released its first annual Fishery Audit to show the status of important fisheries in the country. The report also evaluated the effectiveness of management measures already in place. The audit identified that despite significant government commitments and investments, limited monitoring and collection of fisheries data continues to undermine the effective management of Belize’s fish stocks and marine products.