Local conch back on the menu as season opens
(CNS): Residents can once again enjoy fresh local queen conch and whelks until the end of April, as the fishing season opens today. However, conch is still endangered, and the Marine Park rules and boundaries remain in full effect at all times. No conch or whelks may be taken from within the Marine Reserve, even within the season.
The daily catch limit for conch is five per person or ten per boat with two or more people on board. In a single day, no individual may take or permit another person to take, purchase, receive, offer for sale, exchange or donation, or possess more than five conch from Cayman waters. Only queen conch may be taken.
The daily catch limit for whelks is 2½ gallons in the shell or 2½ pounds of processed whelks per person per day.
The public is encouraged to download the ‘CaymanDoe’ app to instantly ensure that all fishing activities are taking place within the regulated seasons and outside the Marine Reserves to avoid violation of the rules and potential prosecution by DoE Enforcement.
Suspicious behavior can be reported to the DoE Enforcement on 949-8469 or 916-4271 or 911.
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Category: Marine Environment, Science & Nature
fishermen…pillagers of the seas.
contribute or cultivate nothing and then its just take,take, take
Not the divers or reef and beach destroyers though.
They are green eco warriors.
Not the Speedo Boat Captains and the Spandex snorkel guides who are now thriving and recovered in the “Caymans”!!
I’m a multi-generational Caymanian and love a good Conch Stew or some Fry Conch, but honestly based on what I’ve been seeing myself and hearing from my peers, the local conch population isn’t in good shape. It’s going to hurt but we either need a farm/breeding programme or something like a 3 year moratorium to give them a chance to get the numbers up and time to get up to full size. We are blessed in that conch is even accessible in shallow waters when we have Caribbean neighbours that have decimated their populations to the point that scuba gear is required.
I know absolutely nothing about conch spawning/life cycles/maturity time but this could for the benefit of all of us. For those the depend on the sea for their livelihoods, I’m optimistic that their skills can be beneficial for monitoring populations/general aquatic conservation and transferable to other water based roles.
Not enough conch territory for 100,000 people. We had a bunch of big ones at Rum Point but some guys cleaned them out in two nights Back before covid. Only now starting to come back. Better to import from places with big grounds like Bahamas or Mexico.
Unfortunately the conch isn’t meant to be harvested at the population size that we currently are. If anything we need to shorten the season, take limit, and have a minimum size of conch to take. Unpopular I know but if we continue down this road there will be no going back as the conch will be gone. Tougher sentences for poachers need to be applied and enforced. They do the most damage. “I do it to support my family” is a big fat lie. They do it to sell to make money for drugs and drink. Unacceptable behavior. Cayman we need to do better.
The people fishing it to death are here temporarily.
Trust me. We’re lucky the Chinese haven’t turned up with their fleets to strip the place clean.
I know this is off topic. But what should I do when I witnessed blatant criminal activity. I reported it to CIG. With receipts. They are ignoring it. Maybe someone has an interest in CIG? Idk, maybe not. But this is big dollar fraud. Huge. And easy to prove. Govt. seems to have no interest in pursuing.
Report the officers involved in the negligence to the Ombudsman. https://ombudsman.ky/make-a-complaint
Then take it to the various media houses. Marl road is a cesspool, but it’s a loud one, so I’d probably start there.
As if the season ever ended for our third world North Side, Bodden Town and East End layabouts. LMAO.
It would probably help the enforcement of the law if all Conservation Officers were actually engaged in law enforcement work instead of their own private business on government time.
Carrying their kids, family dogs, private construction goods, and other non-related official items in gov trucks, using gov time to run personal errands, and spend more time at ALT than on patrol means our marine life and environment is paying the price for bad management and supervision of government employees.
It may also help if a full day was worked, instead of the public noting late starts and early finishes with trucks and boats parked up well before the end of a day shift.
Get a grip DOE, or enforcement needs handing over to another agency to save the money taken for no return.
I don’t know if you’re the same person who posts the same thing about some incident that got your back up 20 years ago but DoE officers work well beyond 9-5 shifts.
If they start patrols at 6am you don’t think they are done by 2? Others start later and go later. Some are up all night guarding turtle nesting beaches from poachers during the season.
And we might not hear about every bust they make to protect the integrity of the cases but you only need watch the courts to see how many people being busted for poaching.
So get off your judgement kick and know that these guys bust their butts for our country. If they carry some lumber in their pickup who cares?? They’re people too. But I see them out patrolling all hours and I see the cases coming through the courts. They’re doing plenty good!
provide proof that this is happening. Otherwise, you just sound like a bitter person with your own personal grudges.
Like everyone public sector job on Island. It’s a welfare system. Don’t ever expect that.
The largest voting bloc on Island for a generation or two upon which everyone in CIG will be royally wetting their knickers once the Jamaicans can run for politics.
Kenneth and Chris will look like a Jesus on earth compared to some of the bigoted, racist and Caymanian hating people that will be running then.