Halfway through mashin' one cracked conch snack from Bamboo Shack on Saturday, I stopped and thought to myself, "Man, dis is plenty conch!". In truth, I was "stalled", but I then started trying to figure out how many conch(s) were used in that one snack. Inevitably, this led me to the question:

How many pounds of conch are used by Bamboo Shack on a daily basis?

And what about all of the conch used to make snacks/dinners at other local restaurants? Not to mention conch chowder, conch fritters, conch burgers, steamed conch, conch salad, scorched conch, and even conch fried rice from the Chinese?

Will there be enough conch for future generations?

I've heard that Dominican poachers tend to be lazy, so they gut the conch and throw the shells back into our waters, causing new generations of conch to avoid that area 'cause "conch don't like to smell he own 'blood'". With practices like that going on, combined with the healthy market we have here in The Bahamas, what effect are we really having on Conch population numbers?

Anyone know or care to make an educated guess?

I read a study that the conch supply in area waters is headed quickly toward extinction.

If I can find it I will post a link.

While you are looking for the link, I'll tell you one fact.

Two years ago, I could count 150 small conch in the 100 ft of beach area out to about 75 feet from shore here. This winter, I have counted maybe 5.

I read a study that the conch supply in area waters is headed quickly toward extinction.
If I can find it I will post a link.
Well this link may help you with conch history etc. All havesting of conch here in the Keys is prohibited:bouncy:
but I guess it is a good thing because there were hardly any left.
Here is the link
http://www.savetheconch.org/history.html

I have seen conch the size of my thumb, I wish the government would have a closed season for conch.

Bahamians will not miss it until it is gone, between the poachers stealing and dropping the shells back and the Bahamians harvesting the baby conch, there soon won't be any left.

this year we seem to have an abundance of small stingrays and small red starfish, which I have been told also feed on baby conch.

I have seen conch the size of my thumb, I wish the government would have a closed season for conch.
Bahamians will not miss it until it is gone, between the poachers stealing and dropping the shells back and the Bahamians harvesting the baby conch, there soon won't be any left.


I agree. We do need a closed season for conch.

Even a two month closed season would do. We could stagger it with the crawfish and lobster season to ease the pain.

It will hurt worse if all the conch is gone....

I agree. We do need a closed season for conch.
Even a two month closed season would do. We could stagger it with the crawfish and lobster season to ease the pain.
It will hurt worse if all the conch is gone....

Where I could have gotten conch five years ago is no longer there...

I agree. We do need a closed season for conch.
Even a two month closed season would do. We could stagger it with the crawfish and lobster season to ease the pain.
It will hurt worse if all the conch is gone....

Did you know that a conch does not start growing a lip until it is at least 3 years old. It is called a "roller" until it gets stable with a lip. A full grown queen conch can take up to 7 years to mature.
Its gonna take a longer closed season than a few months but any restriction will help in the long run

http://www.motygido.co.uk/bahamas_conch.htm

Did you know that a conch does not start growing a lip until it is at least 3 years old. It is called a "roller" until it gets stable with a lip. A full grown queen conch can take up to 7 years to mature.
Its gonna take a longer closed season than a few months but any restriction will help in the long run
http://www.motygido.co.uk/bahamas_conch.htm

You are right. No one should catch any conch under 4 years old..

Did you know that a conch does not start growing a lip until it is at least 3 years old. It is called a "roller" until it gets stable with a lip. A full grown queen conch can take up to 7 years to mature.
Its gonna take a longer closed season than a few months but any restriction will help in the long run
http://www.motygido.co.uk/bahamas_conch.htm

I am sure most Bahamians are aware of this growth fact.

I believe the object of a ban opposite the crawfish season is to limit the amount taken.

I have seen conch the size of my thumb, I wish the government would have a closed season for conch.
Bahamians will not miss it until it is gone, between the poachers stealing and dropping the shells back and the Bahamians harvesting the baby conch, there soon won't be any left.


vee een ga miss nuttin. we ga jess eat sumting else dats all. i remember ven we usta eat welks. member dem. we usta boil um and suck um outta da shell. i een know da lass time i see or hear bout welks. truss me, we een ga miss nuttin. we ga say boy ya member ven we usta eat conch, our children ga say what dat is.

yall ever HAD to eat spam and potted meat. jess da tort make me want ta puke.

Halfway through mashin' one cracked conch snack from Bamboo Shack on Saturday, I stopped and thought to myself, "Man, dis is plenty conch!". In truth, I was "stalled", but I then started trying to figure out how many conch(s) were used in that one snack. Inevitably, this led me to the question:

How many pounds of conch are used by Bamboo Shack on a daily basis?

And what about all of the conch used to make snacks/dinners at other local restaurants? Not to mention conch chowder, conch fritters, conch burgers, streamed conch, conch salad, scorched conch, and even conch fried rice from the Chinese?

Will there be enough conch for future generations?

I've heard that Dominican poachers tend to be lazy, so they gut the conch and throw the shells back into our waters, causing new generations of conch to avoid that area 'cause "conch don't like to smell he own 'blood'". With practices like that going on, combined with the healthy market we have here in The Bahamas, what effect are we really having on Conch population numbers?

Anyone know or care to make an educated guess?

In my fathers generation, crawfish were so plenty, someone only had to wade up to their knees to start catching them. Now, locals have to go miles off shore to look for 'em. Same thing is happening with conch...


We only had to swim a little to catch conch, but now we need boats to go out and get them. And some people that used to be crawfishers are having to switch over to conch in order to scrap away a living. Conch are being overfished, just like crawfish and turtle before it.

And yet, there is no protection for the sealife, nor industry making a living off it. Is it in need of protection, and the national industry cared for?

vee een ga miss nuttin. we ga jess eat sumting else dats all. i remember ven we usta eat welks. member dem. we usta boil um and suck um outta da shell. i een know da lass time i see or hear bout welks. truss me, we een ga miss nuttin. we ga say boy ya member ven we usta eat conch, our children ga say what dat is.
yall ever HAD to eat spam and potted meat. jess da tort make me want ta puke.

Well, I don't know about welks (what the heck is a welk?), but conchs are cultural, the minute people start 'missing' their conch salad, all kind of outrage will start, about, "why wasn't the public notified and steps taken to ensure that conch was preserved," yadda, yadda, yadda. The problem too is, that if we substituted welks for conch in the past, due to depletion, what are we going to substitute it for? Seven years to wait for conch to return is a bit much. We need a conch farm. Where's Lurker?, he can explain more about this I think.

Well, I don't know about welks (what the heck is a welk?), but conchs are cultural, the minute people start 'missing' their conch salad, all kind of outrage will start, about, "why wasn't the public notified and steps taken to ensure that conch was preserved," yadda, yadda, yadda. The problem too is, that if we substituted welks for conch in the past, due to depletion, what are we going to substitute it for? Seven years to wait for conch to return is a bit much. We need a conch farm. Where's Lurker?, he can explain more about this I think.


:shaky: hey i een dat ole ya know. a welk look like a lil conch but was gray and dark. ven ya pull it out da shell it looked like a conch with the umbilical cord still attached. all i know is mummy dem say i usta kill it. i don't know if i could eat it now doe.:shaky: