Queen Conch  Strombus gigas

Queen conch is a marine gastopod mollusc found throughout the wider Caribbean in sand, grassbed and coral reef habitats. An important subsistence and commercial fishery exists for queen conch.

Imports of queen conch meat into the United States have steadily increased in the last decade. There is growing concern about the conch fishery as populations have been depleted. A by-product of the meat trade are conch shells, which are used for jewelry and sold as curios.

In 1990, the Parties to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (Cartagena Convention) included queen conch in Annex II of its Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW Protocol) as a species that may be utilized on a rational and sustainable basis and that require protective measures. Since 1992, Queen conch has been listed on Appendix II of CITES.

U.S. imports of queen conch meat from 1989-1998

The CITES International Trade Process

Since 1995, CITES has been reviewing the biological and trade status of queen conch. A previous review was inconclusive and because of continuing concerns regarding the sustainable trade of the species, a more thorough review of the fishery was decided in 2001.

Significant Trade Reviews are undertaken in CITES when there is concern about levels of trade in an Appendix II species. Undertaking a Significant Trade Review and implementing corrective measures mandated by the CITES Standing Committee ensure the long term sustainability of species for which the process is conducted.

The CITES Animals Committee, which is composed of representatives of the various geographic regions of CITES, is charged with providing advice and guidance on all matters relevant to international trade in animal species. The draft review of the species, written by TRAFFIC-Europe was sent to all range and importing countries in late April, giving them 60 days to comment on the report. The report, which included input and comment from exporting and range countries, found that trade from many countries is known or suspected to be unsustainable, and that illegal harvest, including fishing of the species in foreign waters and subsequent illegal international trade, is a common and widespread problem in the region.

To ensure the active participation of countries in the Wider Caribbean in the review, the United States, using funding from the Department of State and the Office of Protected Resources, convened a workshop in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in June 2003, to which we invited fisheries and CITES Authorities from countries in the region, in addition to representatives of CARICOM-Fisheries, FAO-WECAFC and the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute. The workshop was convened under the auspices of the Caribbean Fishery Management Council’s International Queen Conch Initiative. Since the workshop was convened within the comment period, both the remarks of range countries and general recommendations of the workshop became part of the review.

At the Animals Committee meeting, a working group consisting of the AC representative of Central and South America and the Caribbean (a citizen of the Dominican Republic), participants from the US, France, Mexico, UK, TRAFFIC-Europe and the Secretariat considered the report and made recommendations, which have been implemented by the CITES Standing Committee. (add site for CITES notification, when available).

INTERNATIONAL QUEEN CONCH INITIATIVE

Partially as a result of the CITES studies, both exporting and importing countries recognized the need for regional management of this shared resource. In 1996, the first meeting of the International Queen Conch Initiative was convened in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At that meeting, the Declaration of San Juan was adopted, in which countries in the region pledged to work together to strengthen bilateral, sub-regional and regional mechanisms to establish common management regimes for the sustainable use of queen conch. Countries have continued to meet in sub-groups to gather data about the status of stocks and to discuss topics of mutual concern. This effort, in which twenty countries have participated, is coordinated by the Caribbean Fishery Management Council of the United States.
See http://www.strombusgigas.com/about_strombus_gigas_page.htm for more information about the Initiative.

Empty conch shells are a common site in  areas of intensive harvest

Queen conch, coral and trumpet triton shells for sale

All photos: Andy Bruckner