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  • Essay / The Problem of Managing Conch Fisheries in the Bahamas

    The Bahamas is a territory of approximately 700 islands and 2,400 uninhabited islets and cays located 50 miles off the east coast of Florida. Only around thirty islands are inhabited; the largest is New Providence (80 square miles; 207 km2), on which the capital, Nassau, is located. In addition to being known for having the most prestigious vacation resorts in the world, the Bahamas are also known for their marine molluscs called conchs. Conch shells are an integral part of Bahamian culture, from conch festivals to conch cracking competitions. Conch is a staple food on the island, known as the national food of the Bahamas and a true Bahamian specialty. When you are vacationing in the Bahamas island, you must try some of their famous conch dishes, like conch salad, conch fritters, and crushed conch sandwiches. Over the years, queen conch has become a staple food on the island, but its popularity has brought great danger to this marine mollusk. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay As the Bahamian conch is in steady decline, the Bahamian government has made several attempts to save this popular marine mollusk. The Bahamian Government's Department of Marine Resources has asked for my advice on a possible solution to halt the continued decline of queen conch due to overfishing. In this report, I will discuss the current conditions of the Bahamas fisheries and the challenges they face, the variables involved, relevant approaches and techniques to address the issues, as well as my recommendations for how we should move forward. forward by improving fisheries management. fishing conditions for Bahamian conch are stagnating. "In the conch, which is heavily exploited, breeding activity is reduced where conch density is low, which may be due to the Allee effect, poor habitat quality or a delay in functional maturity." Not only is queen conch an important part of their culture, but it is also very important economically. The island thrives on the harvest and sale of queen conch, which is now in grave danger due to overfishing of juveniles. “In southern Eleuthera, there have been signs of overfishing by local residents, as many conch shells have been discovered on the shore.” As tourism grew in southern Eleuthera, great pressure was placed on natural resources. Demand for giant queen conch has increased, putting pressure on fisheries resources sought for consumption. “Due to its life history characteristics, high market demand and unsustainable harvesting, conch populations are threatened throughout their range. » The population's chances of recovery would be difficult as it is frequently fished and consumed by local residents. Queen conch will face continued decline as fishing for juveniles near breeding grounds continues. “Surveys of conch shells washed ashore near a suspected conch nursery also show a high proportion of juveniles captured as well as the presence of a “walk-in” fishery. As the fight against overfishing continues, we can save the queen conch by developing more strategies to protect fisheries. Approaches and techniques that can be effective in managing a fishery would be to first raise awareness of queen conch stocks. To solve a problem we must first admit it or.12299