1
Status of the queen conch
fishery in Barbados
CERMES
University of the
West Indies
Cave Hill, Barbados
2
Fisheries Division
Ministry of Agriculture
Government of Barbados
National Summary Report
Hazel A. Oxenford1 & Stephen Willoughby2
CFMC/OSPESCA/WECAFC/CRFM Queen Conch Working Group Meeting
Panama City, 23-25 October, 2012
Fishery description
•
•
Minor and largely unknown
fishery
Has a very long history
Barbados
Fishery description
•
•
•
•
Conch fishers harvest other
species on same trips
Majority of conch fishers fish
seasonally (in summer months)
Trips generally 4-5 hrs
Trip frequency unpredictable
Fishers
•
•
•
•
•
Approx. 50 conch fishers
(186 in fisher database)
Unknown number of
recreational fisher/divers
Majority are free divers
Majority fish from a boat
Small open motorized boats
SCUBA
8% 16%
Free dive
76%
Boat
64%
Swim
24%
12%
Fishing grounds
•
•
•
•
> 45 fishing grounds
Most 7-12 m deep
A few SCUBA
grounds 17-33 m
deep
Greatest activity on
SE coast
Consumption &
trade: meat
•
•
•
•
•
Harvested for meat &
shells
Meat sells for between
US$ 4 - 8 / lb
Sold to private
customers & restaurants
NO EXPORT
High proportion of
immature conch landed
(71 % of catch)
Crude conservative
estimate of harvest is
3,000 - 6,000 conch a
year (approx. 0.5-1.5 mt)
Size and maturity of shells harvested
35
Frequency
•
30
Immature
25
Mature
20
15
10
5
0
0
2
4
6
8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32
Shell length (cm)
Consumption &
trade: shells
•
•
•
•
•
Approx. 20 shell vendors
marketing significant
numbers of local conch
Sell from temporary stalls
at fixed locations
Conch shells sell for
between US$ 1 – 40
Majority are sold to
tourists
Personal export allowance
of 3 shells without permit
Policy & Legislation
Local
•
International
•
•
•
•
•
•
CITES
SPAW protocol
UNCLOS
•
CBD
Supports FAO Code of
Conduct
Member of CRFM
Conch and Lobster
Working Group
•
International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora Act (2006)
o Export permit required
o Personal allowance 3 shells
The Fisheries Act 1993
o
Provision for management
schemes
Fisheries (Management)
Regulations (1998)
o
o
o
None specific to conch
Remains open access
Currently under revision
Management &
Conservation
•
Fisheries Division has
produced conch leaflet
o
o
•
•
CITES trade regulations
Encouraging harvesters to
leave juveniles
Conch stakeholder meeting
o Information exchange
o Research validation
Draft conch management
plan
o Follows FAO (2007) template
Data collection &
research
Abundance survey
•
•
•
•
Summer 2007 / 2008
Circular transects (314 m2)
38 hectares surveyed
across 65 sites
Conch fisher and
research SCUBA divers
Shallow shelf survey
(3 – 15 m)
0 conch/ha
0 conch/ha
Data collection &
research
North
1-5 1-5
conch/ha
conch/ha
0 conch/ha
6-156-15
conch/ha
conch/ha
1-5 conch/ha
Survey results
6-15 conch/ha
16-50
conch/ha
16-50
conch/ha
16-50 conch/ha
• Patchy distribution
• Low density of adults
• Size-related habitat
preferences
South
coast
West
coast
Survey
circles
599
611
% circles no
conch
85
89
ALL
(conch ha-1)
14.4
4.3
ADULT
(conch ha-1)
1.1
1.7
50> 50
conch/ha
conch/ha
> 50 conch/ha
15m contour
15 m
15mdepth
contour
surveyed area
Conch density
2.5
1:152,820
0.0
2.5
5.0
km
Data collection &
research
Population size structure
60
Survey results
Frequency
S
40
30
N = 476 conch
20
10
0
0
2
4
6
8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32
Shell length (cm)
25
W
20
Frequency
• S coast approx.
43,000 conch
• W coast approx
8,300 conch
• > 79% juveniles
juveniles
adults
50
N = 137 conch
15
10
5
0
0
2
4
6
8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32
Shell length (cm)
Data collection
& research
Aggregation home range
Movement patterns
• Observed individuals in
an aggregation for 1 yr
• Aggregation home range
15 hectares with
‘favourite areas’
• No ‘en masse’ migration
or burial of aggregation
• Individuals move slightly
deeper in cooler months
• Individuals move faster
and further in warmer
months
High use areas
Observation
Data collection
& research
Reproduction
• Active April – December
• Smallest size at first
maturity 3 mm lip
thickness (LT)
• 50% mature 19.5 mm LT
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
% frequency
a)
n= 149
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Lip thickness (mm)
45
50
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Histological examination
d)
Gametogenesis
Ripe
Spent
n= 149
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Final Considerations
Issues of concern
Follow-up
• Low density of conch
• Establish a conch fisher
association
• Rarity of mature adults
• High proportion of
juveniles in catch
• Breeding aggregations
not protected
• Fisher livelihoods at risk
• High cost of monitoring &
management
• Restrict access to fishery
• Encourage stakeholder
engagement in monitoring
& management decisions
• Strengthen legislation in
support of management
• Support continued
research
Thanks for your attention!
Acknowledgements:
Government of Barbados
University of the West Indies
CINVESTAV, Mexico
Conch fishers
Research divers
UWI students: Colvin Taylor, Damien Catlyn, Caroline Bissada
Colleagues: Angela Fields, Dalila Aldana, Liliane Frenkiel, Henri Valles