Conch, the endangered species may face protection by US

About one million pounds of conch are exported to the United States market per season. Combined, the conch and lobster represent as much as ninety percent of the total value of seafood exports. Aside from cuisine, the conch shell is used to produce exquisite jewelry. But there is currently a move to list the conch as an endangered species, which means that its exportation to lucrative US markets is in danger. By extension it would mean disaster for thousands of fisher folks who depend on the delicacy to earn a living. Tonight, News Five’s Isani Cayetano begins a two part report on the future of the conch.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

The queen conch, its meat consumed in a variety of seafood delicacies, including all time favorites, ceviche and conch soup, is currently up for consideration by the United States Department of Commerce to be listed as a potentially threatened or endangered species.  In February, WildEarth Guardians, a U.S.-based non-profit environmental organization, submitted a petition, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Marine Fisheries Service, seeking protection of the giant sea snail under its Endangered Species Act.

Mauro Gongora, Fisheries Department

“What this petition will do if it is approved by the U.S. government is that it will basically, or it could potentially restrict or prohibit the imports of queen conch from other countries into the United States.”

An ESA listing, according to WildEarth Guardians, would also provide vital protection for critical habitat important for queen conch recovery.  Our fisheries industry, which thrives, in part, on the exportation of conch, is in jeopardy of losing millions of dollars annually.

Mauro Gongora

Mauro Gongora

“We, at the Fisheries Department, are definitely very concerned simply because the conch fishery is of national importance.  We have over two thousand, seven hundred fishermen, licensed fishermen that do conch fishing and when we put together the information we estimate that over thirteen thousand Belizeans are direct beneficiaries of the conch fishery.  And so, a decision to list the queen conch as endangered or threatened in the United States would definitely affect Belize.”

Locally, however, consumers would not be affected by the inclusion of conch to the endangered species list since it would not be sold on the foreign market.

Mauro Gongora

“Domestic consumption would not be affected because we are not trading it internationally, so even if it is listed as such we would still be able to harvest and consume [conch] at the national level.”

But while thoughts of more fritters and conch penis are always welcomed, the strength of our economy is based on gross domestic product.  The sale of conch across many countries contributes to Belize’s GDP, even if it is on a considerably smaller scale.  The industry currently generates eight million U.S. dollars annually in revenue from conch fishery.  The decision to list conch as an endangered species has prompted a national response from the Government of Belize.

Mauro Gongora

“Our position is that the information that the petitioner has used in its justification for making the petition is totally outdated.  It doesn’t apply to Belize because our conch situation, our conch status in Belize is very different from what they have given as the information on the petition.  My understanding is that some countries in the Caribbean will also be making a response to the petition.  The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism is also putting together a regional response and we are hoping that conch producing countries like The Bahamas, Jamaica, Turks & Caicos, who are major producing countries, would respond in line with Belize’s position that we don’t think that the conch resource is in any position as being listed as endangered or threatened.”

Belize’s national response will be proffered to the U.S. Department of Commerce through our Ministry of Foreign Affairs by October twenty-sixth. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

The conch season this year closed two months early; it caused uproar among fishermen. On Thursday night, we’ll have their reaction on the possibility of listing the conch as an endangered species.