The Queen Conch: Endangered Species?
6 hours ago Kip Hansen 9 Comments
Opinion by Kip Hansen — 16 January 2023
“Overfishing may put the queen conch—a large marine snail known for its showy shell and delectable flesh—on the path to extinction, U.S. government researchers concluded earlier this year after an extensive review of the species. Federal officials are now considering whether to list the Caribbean species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), having wrapped up collecting public comments on the proposal last week. But fishing communities in several countries are opposing the move, worried that such a listing could end their ability to export conch meat to the United States, their largest market.” [ source – Science Magazine ]
Which U.S. Federal officials are considering this drastic move?
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries share responsibility for implementing the ESA (Endangered Species Act). Generally, U.S. FWS manages land and freshwater species, while NOAA Fisheries is responsible for marine and anadromous species.“
[“Anadromous fishes are those that spawn in freshwater, migrate to the ocean to forage and mature, and return to freshwater to spawn and begin the cycle again.” [ source ] Near me: salmon and stripped bass. ]
Why would this be such “drastic” action? Because, according to the Supreme Court, the plain intent of Congress in enacting the ESA was to protect species from extinction at any cost.
What’s the current legal status of the Queen Conch fisheries in the United States?
“Queen conch may not be commercially or recreationally harvested in Florida waters per state law. [ Queen Conch are not found in any other continental U.S. State. ] In the Caribbean, NOAA Fisheries and the Caribbean Fishery Management Council manage queen conch in U.S. federal waters, while the governments of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands manage queen conch in their territorial waters.“ As the map shows, only the tiny area east of the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Croix, which is in U.S. Federal waters are open to Queen Conch fishing – and at that, only 7 months a year. Most of the Federal waters area open to conch fishing east of St Croix is 1,000s of feet deep – impossible to snorkel for conch there.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/01/15/the-queen-conch-endangered-species/
