Co-authored by Olivia Patterson, Friends of the Environment, and Jared Dillet, Conchservation Campaign
The Bahamas has poor soil for farming; our ancestors found this out when they came here several hundred years ago. Luckily they, and others who have followed, were able to rely on the sea for sustenance. Generations of seafarers helped shape The Bahamas into what it is today; the ocean is part of our culture and our livelihood.
Up until recently, our country’s resources have benefitted from the fact that we have a small and relatively sparse population. However, with the invention of easier and faster modes of transportation and gear, more people are fishing and eating marine resources and the demand for seafood both domestically, and on the international market has surpassed our current conservation attempts. As a country, The Bahamas is making strides to work towards sustainable fisheries for some of our most important marine resources, including Nassau grouper, spiny lobster and now queen conch.
The queen conch is a well-known gastropod in the mollusc phylum. Gastropod is derived from Latin words meaning “stomach foot”. Makes sense when you think about it! Queen conch are known to exist throughout the warm waters of The Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, though most countries are not as fortunate as The Bahamas to still have viable populations. Conch (sounds like “conk”), as they are known locally, live on sand banks and seagrass beds and feast on a diet of algae and detritus (which is just broken down pieces of plant and animal matter). Queen conch mature at around 3 years of age and according to NOAA’s Office of Protected Resources, may live up to 40 years.
Researchers from Community Conch have found that they can use lip thickness as an indicator for sexual maturity in conchs and they are undertaking surveys in commercial and traditional fishing grounds throughout The Bahamas to investigate the status of the conch populations found there.
The Bahamas National Trust, The Bahamas Department of Marine Resources, The Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation, Friends of the Environment, and other ‘Conchservation Partners’ have joined to initiate a campaign with the ultimate goal of a sustainable conch fishery: The Bahamas National Conchservation Campaign. The campaign was officially launched on April 27th in the middle of a conch eating mecca – a restaurant called Frankie Gone Bananas at The Fish Fry in Nassau (aka Arawak Cay). The event was well attended. Guests included The Bahamas’ Minister of the Environment, Kendred Dorsett, representatives from many national NGO’s and Mr. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President of the Waterkeepers Alliance. The Bahamas Marine Exporters Association showed their support for the campaign with a presentation of a cheque for $25,000 to the campaign. Iconic Bahamian artist and musician Eddie Minnis lent his talents to the event by singing his song “No More Conch”, which he has offered the use of to help in raising awareness during the campaign.
The next phase of the campaign will include more public outreach and the beginning of discussions regarding the biology of queen conch and how human behaviors can affect conch populations and ultimately the conch fishery in The Bahamas. Keep up to date with the Conchservation Campaign by following the Facebook page.