U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Importing Queen Conch What You Need to Know

What is prohibited? the species’ survival in the wild. Queen conch, with its beautiful pink shell and tasty meat, has become a symbol of What makes queen conch vulnerable? the Caribbean region where it is found Queen conch (Strombus gigas) is on beaches, restaurant menus, and in an edible marine snail that occurs souvenir shops. Be aware, however, that throughout the Caribbean Sea, including the United States currently prohibits Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin import of queen conch (including meat, Islands, into the Gulf of Mexico, and in shells, live animals, and products the Atlantic Ocean around Bermuda. It is made from queen conch) from Antigua heavily fished for its meat, and the shells and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, and pearls are sought by collectors and Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, for jewelry. Because these animals are Queen Conch, CITES Appendix II and Trinidad and Tobago. This action slow growing, late to mature (3-5 years), Dick Pountain CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 is part of a global conservation effort and tend to aggregate in shallow water to Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Jamaica, under the Convention on International spawn, they are particularly vulnerable Mexico, Montserrat, the Netherlands Trade in Endangered Species of Wild to over-fishing. Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts Fauna and Flora (CITES) to stem and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and continued and significant declines in What other steps is the U.S. taking? the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos, and queen conch populations. Before trade Steps have been taken to conserve U.S. Venezuela. Please contact the CITES can resume with these countries, they native populations of queen conch. All Management Authority in the country must implement specific long-term harvest in Florida waters and adjacent from which you wish to export (http:// conservation measures to sustainably Federal waters has been banned since www.cites.org/cms/index.php/lang-en/ manage queen conch populations in their the mid-1980s. Populations in Puerto component/cp/) for information on waters. Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are additional restrictions or regulations managed under local regulations and a that may apply. For information on How does CITES regulate queen conch? Fishery Management Plan for queen how to import wildlife, including queen Queen conch was listed in Appendix II conch developed by the Caribbean conch, please contact the port of entry of CITES in1992. Appendix II includes Fishery Management Council. The nearest you. Contact information for species that, although currently not U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA’s wildlife ports is available from the U.S. threatened with extinction, may become National Marine Fisheries Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law so without trade controls. CITES Department of State are also committed Enforcement at www.fws.gov/le/ or by regulates international trade through to working with the international calling 703-358-1949. a system of permits designed to ensure community to ensure that queen conch that trade is legal and will not threaten remains a sustainable and valuable commercial resource throughout the Caribbean region. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service What is allowed? International Affairs You may import queen conch into 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 212 the United States from parts of the Arlington, VA 22203 Caribbean not subject to the trade 703/358-2104 or 800/358-2104 prohibitions, provided it is allowed e-mail: [email protected] by the country of export and it is http://www.fws.gov/international accompanied by any required CITES documents. Countries from which September 2012 import may be allowed include: Anguilla, @USFWSInternatl Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Like us on Facebook Queen Conch, CITES Appendix II USFWS_International Affairs

NOAA Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Grenada,