Encouraging comments from Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister Michael Pintard following the recent study on a potential collapse in the conch fishery. I met Minister Pintard recently when a Bahamian delegation visited North Carolina, and he was especially interested in our creek restoration research (see here and here for instance) and the involvement of Bahamian students in […]
An excellent review paper on the status on the conch fishery in The Bahamas, based on research spanning more than 22 years. Much of this research associated with the organization Community Conch (www.communityconch.org). At the end of the paper find some specific management recommendations, and I include the Abstract below which provides a nice summary…
Broad-scale […]
A new study found that Queen conch populations are not mixing across the Caribbean suggesting that there are multiple distinct populations. These findings have implications for management of conch fisheries and suggest that local management of populations may be crucial! Check out a popular news article featuring this work here and a link to the original research […]
We’ve shared posts about conch populations before but a new study led by Dr. Kough from Shedd Aquarium found that the conch population declined 71% in 2016 compared to a 2011 survey in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. View the full study here and a popular news article here.
“Let’s think about tomorrow, there are some simple rules to follow: preservation, moderation, we need some Conchservation. Conch Gone!”
Under the direction of Lavado Stubbs, ConchBoy films, with several musicians, a new music video came out today to help the conservation of conch for The Bahamas (article here). A widespread effort between entertainers and several conservation and management […]
A new study from Turks and Caicos finds that the total local consumption of conch equals approximately the total allowable catch without export amounts factored in from 1950-2012. See research summary below and full paper here.
The Turks and Caicos Islands’ total marine fisheries catches were estimated for 1950–2012 using a catch reconstruction approach, estimating all removals, including reported catch […]
A new paper from a human dimensions study on Andros. Here is the Abstract:
Fisheries resources in the Caribbean suffer intense pressure from overharvesting. Some of the most valuable fisheries in The Bahamas, such as queen conch (Strombus gigas), spiny lobster (Panulirus argus), and Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus), are overexploited and require additional protection. Despite these pressures, we currently know […]
A report authored by Craig Dahlgren and commissioned by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reviews the benefits of no-take marine reserves (LINK to .pdf). This comprehensive report titled: Belize’s Lobster, Conch, and Fish Populations Rebuild in No-Take Zones, focuses on Belizian reefs, but I imagine these data are very useful for the Bahamas as well. The report is long, ~90 pages, […]