ANTIGUA & BARBUDA HOTELS & TOURISM ASSOCIATION

Queen Conch - photo compliments of Eli Fuller.

The Antigua Hotels and Tourist Assocition Newsletter dated May 28, 2013 announces the closed season for Queen Conch starts July 1st.

Please be advised that there is a closed season for Queen Conch (Strombus gigas), locally called "conch", starting from July 1st and ending August 31st of every year.

During this closed season no person shall fish for, take, place for sale, purchase or have in his possession any conch.

The conch is internationally considered an endangered species and all measures must be taken to protect this resource from overfishing.

Persons should not stock up their freezers in the weeks prior to the closed season as this would be considered having it in their possession and would also defeat the purpose of the closed season as the stocks would be heavily fished to supply demand.

Anyone contravening this regulation commits an offence and is liable to summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $50,000.

Also as of January 2014 the following comes into effect:

Closed Season
Lobster - May 1st to June 30th
Conch - July 1st to August 31st
Nassau Grouper - January 1st to March 31st
Red Hind/Coney and Parrot Fish (Chub) - May 1st to July 31st