Make a Donation

Seafood Watch

Take Action

News from Julie Packard

Conservation Research

Our Conservation Efforts

Get Updates

Seafood Search

A-N
O-Z

Abalone
Arctic Char
Barramundi
Basa
Black Sea Bass
Bluefish
Bluenose
Capelin
Catfish
Caviar
Chilean Seabass
Clams
Cobia
Cod
Conch
Corvina
Crab
Crayfish
Croaker
Eel
Flounder
Grenadier
Groupers
Haddock
Hake
Halibut
Herring
Imitation Crab
Lingcod
Lobster
Mackerel
Mahi Mahi
Marlin
Monkfish
Mullet
Mussels

A-N
O-Z

Seafood Watch - Seafood Guide

Conch, Queen

© Scandinavian Fishing Yearbook/www.scandfish.com

SEAFOOD	RATING	MARKET NAMES	WHERE CAUGHT	HOW CAUGHT
Queen Conch			Worldwide	Wild-caught

Queen Conch

This long-lived species matures late in life, making it vulnerable to fishing pressure.

Summary

Queen conch is a large marine snail

native to the Caribbean basin. Its range in the U.S. encompasses the Florida Keys as well as the southeastern shore of the Florida peninsula. Queen conch is slow-moving and easy to pick up by hand or with the simplest fishing gear (known as poke poles). Conch is especially vulnerable to fishing during the spawning season, when they gather in large numbers to reproduce.

Both the commercial and recreational conch fisheries in Florida are closed due to overfishing. Unfortunately, conch has been slow to recover. Pollution

and the loss of shallow, coastal habitat have added to the problem. Most other nations have not done stock

assessments on queen conch and need to take basic steps to curb rampant illegal fishing. Only a few conch-exporting nations have adequate management but even these are not providing consistent, quality data about their conch populations. Until conch fisheries can be reliably managed and conch populations return to higher level, consumers should “Avoid” this species.

Scientific Reports About Our Ratings

Queen Conch Seafood Watch Report

	Print a pocket-size Seafood Watch guide to take with you. Download a guide now
Mobile phone users log on to mobile.seafoodwatch.org. iPhone and iPhone touch users, you can get the most up-to-date Seafood Watch recommendations on your iPhone or iPod touch.

How fish are caught or farmed makes a difference.

Learn more

Celebrating 25 Years of Ocean Conservation