Abstract

Puerto Rico’s artisanal queen conch (Aliger gigas) fishery is a vital economic resource for coastal communities, with conch meat primarily consumed locally and with minimal export. For generations, countless livelihoods have depended on the fishing of queen conch; a culturally and economically significant species. However, the sustainability of the fishery has been increasingly threatened by overfishing, environmental degradation, and changing ocean conditions. These challenges have driven the need for the fishers of Puerto Rico to dive deeper, as warming waters and other environmental pressures push queen conch populations further offshore. The additional costs and risks associated with deeper dives place a significant burden on local fishers, many of whom operate small-scale operations with limited resources

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