Abstract

Despite its importance in both the local and export market, little is known about the queen conch (Strombus gigas) fishery of St. Vincent & the Grenadines. In preparation for the development of a queen conch management plan, a data-scoping survey of 17 stakeholders was conducted in June 2008 in order to obtain an overview of the current status of the fishery. Here we report on the fishing techniques, marketing and fishers’ perceptions of the status of the conch fishery for the first time. This small scale artisanal fishery is based on the transboundary Grenada Bank and involves approximately 45 conch fishers fishing six days a week for approximately three hours a trip using SCUBA gear. Fishing grounds are deep (around 27 m) and catch rates average approximately 45 kg of un-cleaned meat per boat per trip. Fishing occurs year-round but fishers agree that conch is targeted more heavily during the lobster closed season (May - August). Currently in St. Vincent and the Grenadines the conch fishery is virtually unmonitored and open access with a minimum size and weight restriction. The only data collected are the export weight, purchase price and the import country as required by CITES for exportation. Stakeholders perceive that the fishery is in decline and want to be actively involved in its management.

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