The Queen Conch Fishery In St. Vincent and the Grenadines

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The Queen Conch Fishery In St. Vincent and the
Grenadines

• Compiled by K.Isaacs

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• St. Vincent the Grenadines is a small
  archipelagic state situated in the southern
  Caribbean

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The Queen conch (Strombus gigas) fishing industry
is artisanal in nature and is generally fished in
the Grenadines along the Grenada bank, which is a
shallow platform (about 3000 km²) extending from
Bequia to Grenada.
Shallow coastal areas of the platform ( 9
12m) consist of predominantly coralline habitat
interspersed with patches of seagrass, sand and
rock
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• There are approximately 45 fishers who operate in
  the conch fishery
• Most fishers display a preference for fishing of
  conch extensively during the months between May
  August (coincides with the closed season for
  lobsters)

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• Fishers use a flat transom vessel called a Dory
• Open vessels 3 6 m (11 -27ft) in length and a
  beam of 0.9 2.1m (3 7ft)
• Constructed from wood and marine plywood, which
  is then covered in epoxy and/or fibreglass
• Powered by one or two outboard engines which can
  range from 14 115 hp

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• A typical crew consists of three (3) persons a
  driver/basketman, a floater and a diver.
• The diver (using SCUBA) is responsible for
  collecting the conch and loading them into a
  basket which is attached to a rope.
• The driver/basketman on instruction from the
  floater would lift or lower the basket as the
  operation persists.
• The floater is responsible for relaying
  information between the diver and the basketman.

DRIVER/BASKETMAN
DIVER
FLOATER
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• A basket can be a mesh bag, a canvas bag or even
  mesh wire shaped in the form of a basket.
• One basket can hold about 10 - 15 conch
• On average, a fishing trip lasts between three
  and four hours in which two or three SCUBA tanks
  are used.
• Fishermen leave port at around 7 a.m. to travel
  to their fishing grounds.
• Conch fishers operate at depths ranging from 12
  40m and can catch an average of 80 100 lbs of
  conch per trip
• An average conch being landed is 15 oz or 425 g.

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YEAR LANDINGS (lbs) EXPORTS( lbs)
1990 5,545 10,945
1991 3,240 84
1992 4,225 21
1993 62,140 72,477
1994 33,422 19,586
1995 17,024 13,537
1996 27,404 18,160
1997 18,040
1998 45,774 1,100
1999 15,040 5,010
2000 15,212 10,239
2001 84,238 78,816
2002 79,048 75,238
2003 19,601 14,707
2004 37,950 30,698
2005 14,221 8,646
2006 7,907 5,354
2007 23,668 19,441
2008 9,144 1,790
2009 38,597 25,373
2010 86,223 62,610
2011 22,991 13,433
Total 670,654 487,265
Average weight/Yr 30,484 23,203

• Over the past twenty years St. Vincent and the
  Grenadines have landed an annual average of
  30,484 lbs and exported 76 of this amount
  (23,203 lbs)
• The main countries to which the conch is exported
  are North America, England, Trinidad, St. Lucia
  and Barbados

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Conch landings and exports
Fig 1 showing conch landings in pounds for SVG
1990-2011
Fig 2 showing conch exports in pounds for SVG
1990-2011
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Fig 3 showing comparison between conch landings
and exports in pounds for SVG 1990-2011

• The conch that is sold on the local market goes
  to restaurants, yachts, hotels and some are
  consumed by the local households.
• Locally conch is sold by fishers at EC5 - 7 per
  pound and by vendors at EC10 per pound

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• In accordance to the Convention on International
  Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), conch is
  listed as an Appendix 2 specie which means that
  persons wishing to export conch must fill out an
  appropriate form at the Fisheries Division and
  have it signed by the CFO

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• Fisheries Regulations 1987
• Part VI Fishery Conservation Measures
• Conch
• 18. (1) No person shall take, sell or purchase or
  have in his possession any immature conch
• (2) The Minister may by notice published in the
  Gazette declare any period as closed season for
  conch
• (3) No person shall fish for conch during the
  closed season of conch

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• (4) In this regulation immature conch means
• (a) a conch shell of which is smaller than 7
  inches /18 cm in length
• (b) a conch shell which does not have a flared
  lip
• (c) a conch with a total meat weight of less
  than 8 oz / 225 g after removal of the digestive
  gland

7 inches
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• Some fishers have reported that there are less
  conch in the waters of the Grenada bank and in
  some instances, that they have had to fish in
  deeper waters.
• The Fisheries Division has proposed a capital
  project in which an analysis would be taken of
  the countrys Queen Conch fishery.
• Biological data such as size, weight and maturity
  will be gathered on the conch population, as well
  as abundance and distribution patterns of the
  conch.
• Nursery and spawning grounds are expected to be
  identified as well as socio-economic information
  including fishing effort, consumption patterns,
  as well as local and export market distribution
  patterns.

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• From this project, invaluable information will be
  obtained to determine the structure of the stock
  on Queen conch in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  as well as provide input for sustainable
  management of the resource.

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Questions?