Queen Conch Expert Workshop
Introduction
- The queen conch (Strombus gigas) is one of the most important fishery resources in the Caribbean in terms of its annual landings and its social and economic importance. Queen conch is an edible marine gastropod of the Caribbean Region that has been listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Annex III of the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) of the regional Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (Cartagena Convention).
- While many problems of the fisheries in the region have been addressed, there is still significant concern over the status of some stocks and management in the region. As a result, a Queen Conch Expert Workshop was organised by the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council in Miami, USA, 22–24 May 2012 to discuss the various constraints on improving the management of the queen conch fisheries. This report contains the findings, conclusions and recommendations of this workshop.