Conche shells don't waste your £ or $

[britsbest]

Conche shells are openly on sale throughout the Caribbean.

Please read this before you purchase them:-

http://www.cites.org/eng/news/press/2003/031001_queen_conch.shtml

[eandj]

Conche shells are openly on sale throughout the Caribbean.

Please read this before you purchase them:-

http://www.cites.org/eng/news/press/2003/031001_queen_conch.shtml

 

 

This is from 2003. What is current restrictions say? Buying the souvenier shell is not harvesting for the meat. You can find the shells on the beaches in Turks and Caicos. The meat there is plentiful and "legal" to eat.

[britsbest]

This IS the current LEGAL situation. I am a retired wild life protection/border agent (they called us Customs Officers).

 

So if you see a tiger skin coat for sale in say India would you have the same opinion?? or an Ivory Tusk or need I go on??:confused:

 

Law is the law whether or not you agree with it!:eek:

[Colorado Kat]

And you also can't bring back those cool, woven palm leaf hats........

[dappledumpling]

Does this apply to US or is this a Britain Law? It seems most posters here are from england.

I live in florida and can purchase the shells locally... Although I can and do harvest my own conch for ceviche.. Hate to see them harvested for shells.. but they taste great

[britsbest]

Google is your friend (Unless you are in China!)

http://www.fws.gov/international/DMA_DSA/CITES/animals/queen_conch.html

[britsbest]

http://www.fws.gov/international/DMA_DSA/CITES/animals/queen_conch.html

[Aquahound]

I live in florida and can purchase the shells locally... Although I can and do harvest my own conch for ceviche.. Hate to see them harvested for shells.. but they taste great

 

...as long as it isn't Queen Conch.

[eandj]

The people of Turks and Caicos use conch as food. It is harvested mainly for eating (not the shells) as it is plentiful, thus low cost. And I must say very good tasting in many preparations. Once harvested, most shells are thrown back. Tourists snorkel and dive for them. Artisans use them for jewelry, art etc. No I wouldn't buy a tiger skin nor tusks. Nor would I think to eat the meat. I've attached an article re T&C fisheries. http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/a0184e/a0184e03.htm

[jollyjones]

The conch in TCI come from the Conch Farm at the east end of Providenciales (an interesting place to visit) - they use the meat locally and export it so they have a huge amount of shells left over.

 

I purchased some pretty shells quite legally from the Conch Farm Gift Shop and even brought home a leaflet from the gift shop but I had them confiscated when I arrived home in Bermuda where it is illegal to possess any part of a Queen Conch, even if it came from a legal source (which I didn't know) - as the Customs Officer said, it would be impossible for them to prove what was legally sourced and what wasn't so everything is banned.

[2Cruise4Ever]

So, am I right in assuming that the conch fritters we had at the Swizzle Inn is not Queen Conch? I wouldn't say I'm an animal rights activist. But, I will participate in a boycott if necessary. If the conch fritters we have ordered in the past are Queen Conch, then we won't be eating them anymore.

[MrSchwump]

Making the eating of conch equivalent to buying a tiger skin is outrageious and ridiculous. Conch are pleantiful throughout the Caribbean and as someone else pointed out, can be farmed like oysters or shrimp.

[jollyjones]

So, am I right in assuming that the conch fritters we had at the Swizzle Inn is not Queen Conch? I wouldn't say I'm an animal rights activist. But, I will participate in a boycott if necessary. If the conch fritters we have ordered in the past are Queen Conch, then we won't be eating them anymore.

 

It's a long, long time since I've eaten a conch fritter in Bermuda since I avoid fried food but, as I recall, there is very little conch in amongst all the stodge - if it's even conch at all, it'll be frozen and imported - heaven knows what genus it is.

[britsbest]

Making the eating of conch equivalent to buying a tiger skin is outrageious and ridiculous. Conch are pleantiful throughout the Caribbean and as someone else pointed out, can be farmed like oysters or shrimp.

 

As the Queen Conche is on the same endagered species list as Tiger Conche Pandas etc I beg to differ.

 

You seem to want to only obey the laws with which you agree?

[MrSchwump]

As the Queen Conche is on the same endagered species list as Tiger Conche Pandas etc I beg to differ.

 

You seem to want to only obey the laws with which you agree?

 

 

Think about it for a second. If a conch (or any other animal) is farm raised, it would be highly unlikely that it's on the endangered species list. Just because it's a conch doesn't mean it's an endangered variety of conch.

 

When you stop and think instead of feeling and reacting you minimize the chance of appearing to be foolish.

[britsbest]

Please take the time to read the initial post.

 

The conche available in the Caribbean are not farmed.

 

The point of the thread was to save cruisers from wasting there hard earned £ on items that are liable to be taken off them when they return home.

 

Of course some if not most will avoid detection by the authorities, but the fact remains that the export and import of the Queen Conche is prohibbited with out the required permits.

 

Naturally you may eat conche meat but that has nothing to do with the matter.

[Zambini]

Guess I missed something, what was the cruise question?

[eandj]

I'm confused by the OP's point and I must be missing something. I'm afraid I have never seen an empty conch shell on the beach or while snorkeling that says..."I am illegal"

[britsbest]

I'm confused by the OP's point and I must be missing something. I'm afraid I have never seen an empty conch shell on the beach or while snorkeling that says..."I am illegal"

 

You must be easily confused.

 

This is not a laughing matter.

 

The export / import of Queen Conche shells with out a permit is illegal PERIOD.

[britsbest]

Guess I missed something, what was the cruise question?

 

If you read the posts!

[Zambini]

If you read the posts!

 

Yes, I read the posts.

 

I also read the name of the Forum: "Ask a cruise question"

 

What question do you have?

[britsbest]

My question is "Why are you all so reluctant to accept Good advice given freely??"

[MrSchwump]

No one asked for your advice on this topic so it comes off as sanctimonious. You got all fired up because someone on another board asked where is the best place to buy conch shells. Apparently you decided we all needed to be educated. That comes off as a bit overbearing, IMO.

[Moeve]

The fact remains the OP is correct about it being illegal due to the fact that these animals are on the protected red list. Those beach vendors don't care once they have the tourist money. They are not the ones being fined at customs -they cannot even be traced if you try.

 

It is even possible that these shells may not be sold reguardless a bit like elefant ivory - it doesn't matter if they are farmed or not. On the other hand it is possible that these are certified and may then be sold BUT as soon as you have to pass customs it can become a severe problem because these things in fact require a huge stack of paperwork BECAUSE they are protected.

 

.....and this is why we are here to help each other - if one of us makes a mistake we help others so that they don't have to make the same one. So lighten up the OP has a point that shouldn't be taken lightly even if many of you think it is nonsence - customs won't agree with you.

[Alliea]

Making the eating of conch equivalent to buying a tiger skin is outrageious and ridiculous. Conch are pleantiful throughout the Caribbean and as someone else pointed out, can be farmed like oysters or shrimp.

I agree ..