Abstract

Throughout the Caribbean, the Queen Conch (Lobatus gigas formerly called Strombus gigas) is considered a precious marine resource. Fisheries managers, researchers and some community members recognize there is a decline in conch pop-ulations in The Bahamas and regionally. This decline motivated a collective effort in The Bahamas by The Nature Conserv-ancy (TNC), The Bahamas National Trust (BNT), the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) and other conservation part-ners to improve the sustainability of the conch fishery through the Conchservation Campaign. However, a major challenge to this effort was that little was known and documented about whether the general population of The Bahamas is aware of the status of the fishery, how they use and value conch, and whether they would support new conservation measures. To address this gap, a study of Bahamians’ knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) about conch was conducted in 2015. In an effort to build upon the KAP Survey, TNC conducted an assessment of the national conch fishery. The 2016 National Conch Assessment included a comprehensive literature review on Queen Conch in The Bahamas, a stakeholder analysis on the local economic market and consumption rates and an evaluation of the fishery’s management structure. This presentation will briefly highlight findings from both the KAP and the National Conch Assessment and will offer resource managers and decision-makers next steps for the sustainable use and management of the Bahamian Queen Conch Fishery.

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