Queen Conch ruling a crucial victory for Caribbean – Guyana Foreign Affairs Minister

The recent ruling in the United States on the Queen Conch issue was “a crucial victory” for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Hon, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Minster of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Guyana said on Thursday.

Welcoming delegates to the Thirty-Ninth Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development now underway at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown, Guyana, the Minister acknowledged the work of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism and its contribution to the ruling.

On Monday, November 3, 2014, the National Maine Fisheries Services (NMFS), Department of Commerce, USA, concluded that the “queen conch is not currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range nor is it not likely to become so within the foreseeable future”.

US-based NGO the WildEarth Guardians had petitioned the US government to list the commercially important queen conch as threatened or endangered under the USA Endangered Species Act (ESA).  After a comprehensive status report for the queen conch conducted over the past 2 years using the best scientific and commercial information available, the US government authorities concluded that the species does not warrant listing at this time.

Mr. Milton Haughton, Executive Director of CRFM said that the CRFM Secretariat has worked closely with the Member States in opposing this petition which if successful, would have resulted in significant dislocation, loss of jobs and economic harm to thousands of fishers and their families in the countries that depend upon the queen conch for their livelihoods and food security.