Conch close season in effect
Published:Friday | August 5, 2022 | 12:06 AM
The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) is warning the Jamaican public, including fishers and fish vendors, to honour the queen conch (Genus Strombus) close season which went into effect on August 1 and will run until February 28, 2023, or face serious financial fines or prison time. During this period, the fishing or trading in conch is strictly prohibited.
All operators of eating establishments, including restaurants, hotels, bed-and-breakfast operations, street side vendors, cook shop operators and the like, who are in possession of conch or conch products, are being asked to submit declarations in writing, to the National Fisheries Authority, outlining the location, quantity and level of processing of same, by Sunday, August 7, 2022.
After Sunday August 21 it is illegal to sell, process or import conch meat. In addition, all conch meat and products previously declared can only be legally kept in cold storage of for personal consumption. Thereafter, all undeclared and illegally traded conch found in the possession of anyone will be seized and the person(s) arrested and charged. If found guilty, they could be fined as much as three million dollars or be sentenced to up to two years in prison.
Following the findings of a scientific assessment of the Queen Conch stocks on the Pedro Bank during 2019, a ban on the fishing, sale and export of conch was instituted from March 1, 2019, to January 31, 2020. However, a follow-up assessment by the NFA determined that the conch stocks had not recovered sufficiently to allow for the opening of the 2020 conch fishing season and the ban was extended to Sunday, March 22, 2020.
However, surveys conducted towards the end of 2020 showed significant improvement in the (conch) density, with a 16 per cent improvement, reflecting a density of about 180 conch per hectare and the ban was lifted on April 1, 2021.
Now the NFA wants to safeguard those gains and chief executive officer of the authority, Dr Gavin Bellamy, has appealed to all Jamaicans, as well as visitors to our shores, to desist from supporting any illegal trade of conch during the close season.
“The season is closed and we are advising them to honour the close season for the continued sustainability of the industry and avoid the risk of prosecution.
“Enforcement will be constant with all the agencies – Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard, Marine Police and our fishing officers putting in extra hours to ensure vigilance of this precious marine treasure,” he told The Gleaner.