Species Use Database

Queen Conch
Strombus gigas

Used for Food and feed, Decorative and aesthetic and Monetary in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

A. Species

Scientific name: Strombus gigas

Common name(s): Queen Conch

Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Critically Endangered


B. Location of use

Geographic location(s):

  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Country/Region:


C. Scale of assessment

Scale of assessment: National Level

Name/Details of location: St. Vincent and the Grenadines


D. Timescale of use

Start Year: 2022

End Year: 2022


E. Information about the use

How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat and Wild species sourced from a suitable habitat but not its own natural habitat

Type of use: Extractive

Practice of use: Targeted fishing harvesting/exploiting or collecting wild aquatic resources

Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal

Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism

Purpose(s) of end use: Food and feed, Decorative and aesthetic and Monetary

Motivation of use: Basic subsistence, Income generation from trade (individual/household/community) and Largescale commercial exploitation for trade

Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law


F. Information about the Users

Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people


G. Information about the sustainability of use

Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat and Wild species sourced from a suitable habitat but not its own natural habitat

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable

Details of assessment carried out: CITES Livelihood Case Study findings

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The “Blue Biotrade” project has resulted in enhanced application of sustainability principles and greater investments in local stock assessments. In addition, with importation being rampant, many of the

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable

Details of assessment carried out: CITES Livelihood Case Study Findings

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Not only do they make multiple foods out of the conch meat, such as fritters, burgers, and chowder, but they also use the operculum (the horny “nail” or “foot”) and pearls which, while rare, are extremely valuable at US$ 2000 each. The resources generates money for the community

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: not recorded

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: While the record

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: not recorded

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded


Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species

Regulating climate change Continued partnerships and importation from other conch markets Development of simple NDF methods


Record source

Information about the record source: formal_data_stats

Date of publication/issue/production: 2022-01-01T00:00:00+0000

Source Reference(s):

2022
Alexander Girvan, Edited by Dilys Roe

Date of record entry: 2024-07-10


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