Press Release STINAPA
For over 30 years the queen conch on Bonaire has been protected because it is threatened with extinction.
The queen conch is considered a delicacy on Bonaire. Evidence of this can be seen at Lac Bay where the remnants of the past can still be seen in the conch shell middens in the area. Adult conchs are almost no longer encountered in our waters and certainly not in Lac Bay. There is still fishing going on conch. What is taken out of the water are baby conch which did not yet have the chance to reproduce. It takes about 4 to 5 years for conch to become mature and start reproducing. If we continue to catch young conch then there will be no more conch left in our waters. Conch is a protected species and it is strictly prohibited to take conch.
