Sea Shells at Grand Turk

[klfrodo]

On taking it up with the Turks and Caicos government.........

 

If a conch shell was collected from anywhere around the cruise terminal beach and/or the conch graveyard, it was harvested illegally. It is stealing flora or fauna from a national park. And yes, it is illegal. And no, it is not included in your "three shells per person" allowance due to where it was collected.

 

Here's reference from the official Turks and Caicos visitors page:

 

https://www.visittci.com/grand-turk/columbus-landfall-national-park

 

"Included in the national park are many of the best beaches on Grand Turk, including Governor's Beach, Cockburn Town Beach, the Cruise Center Beach (SunRay Beach), Pillory Beach, and English Point."

 

"As in any protected area in the Turks and Caicos, littering, and the removal of any natural object or historical artefact is illegal"

 

 

And if you DO legally collect your conch shells, your are doing it in season right? And I am sure you are filling out the proper customs regulations forms from the Turks and Caicos government, right?

 

https://www.visittci.com/travel-info/customs-allowances

 

"Conch shells, whether collected by you or purchased from a shop, require a permit from the Department of Economic and Maritime Affairs to export. This permit can only be obtained during the open season for conch. Other shells, depending on the species and quantity, also require a permit. Corals of any sort cannot be exported legally.

We recommend that you exercise caution when purchasing conch shells, conch jewellery or other conch souvenirs because you must either obtain a permit (which can be a time-consuming process) or will likely have your shells confiscated"

 

There is a three conch shell limit before requiring the custom form in season, but harvesting from the national park is illegal (which seems to be driving some of the confusion)

 

https://www.visittci.com/shopping/buying-collecting-exporting-conchs-shells-corals

 

"However, you must be aware of the export (and import restrictions in your home country) restrictions regarding products (including souvenirs) derived from this animal. It is illegal to export conch outside of the open season (usually 15 July to 15 October) and during the open season a permit is required for more than 3 shells (even for shells and products purchased in shops)."

 

 

 

"The Caribbean, and the Turks and Caicos Islands, has suffered from the overfishing of this animal, and the Queen Conch is now protected under the international CITES Treaty. As such, the exportation of the animal, shell, or souvenirs derived from the shell (such as jewellery and cups), requires a permit.This animal has been listed in the CITES (Appendix II) treaty since 1992, but for many years enforcement of the law was lax and it was possible to purchase (or collect) the shells and export them without issue. However, enforcement has become strict and any conchs found during a customs inspection when leaving the Turks and Caicos Islands will be confiscated. This includes all other conch souvenirs, such as cups, mugs, pearls, and shells purchased at a shop with a valid receipt."

 

"It is a criminal offence to take shells or coral from any National Park, which can cover much of the coastline in the country"

 

"To export more than 3 conchs and other certain shells, you can obtain a permit by visiting the Department for Maritime Affairs on Providenciales. It is not possible to obtain permits online. Free permits are granted for tourists to take up to 3 conch shells out of the country during conch open season (usually 16 October to 14 July). During closed season (usually 15 July to 15 October) no conch shells can be exported, and permits will not be granted. Other shells require a permit which varies depending on quantity and species."

 

As for the coral:

 

"Coral of any sort cannot be legally taken from the country, and permits will not be granted."

 

^^This link here is the most helpful on conch related questions when it concerns Grand Turk^^^

 

Hope this is of assistance. :)

 

 

Thank you Ralph.

You bring some great information to this thread.

[shellster1]

I love telling this story, and seeing this thread, what a great opportunity to share it.

I don't have any comment or opinion on what's legal, or what one considers ethical...but here's my story about sea shells on Turks and Caicos:

I had a cruise booked with my 6-year-old son. It was early spring of 2014. Unfortunately, my mom passed away just 6 weeks prior. I didn't want to go. I wanted to cancel. I had no idea how I would enjoy the trip. I always cruised with my mom. It was a tradition of ours. We spent most shore days going to the beach. I relaxed, while mom collected sea shells. She was picky, though. She liked the very small ones, unchipped. The ones that were no bigger than a nickel. She didn't take many, just the ones she thought were special. At her home, she arranged them in little glass dishes and displayed them on her coffee table. It seemed they were rearranged every time I visited. It was her "thing".

Anyway, one stop on this particular cruise was to the Turks. My little boy and I decided to take a beach excursion. The beach we went to was empty. It was the most beautiful day! So sunny, and it seemed we had miles of beach to ourselves. We took a walk. A long walk. On our little adventure, I was feeling sad. I missed her.

On our walk back, I looked down and started to see these beautiful little white shells. I don't remember seeing them on the way out, but there they were, on our way back. And it seemed to me, they were placed as footprints would have been. There was an abundance of them, perfectly placed. My son and I started to pick them up. We immediately cheered up. We filled our pockets with these precious little shells, and at that moment, I knew my mom was with us. That was my "Sea shells in the sand" day. Possibly the best shore day I ever experienced on any vacation.