A quick word to my subscribers. First of all, thank for subscribing to my blog, I really appreciate your support. Secondly, I just want to let you know that I don’t usually write a blog post a day at all. I have signed up for the Ultimate Blogging Challenge which requires me to write a blog post a day for the month of October. Yikes! So, for those of you who, like me, don’t like to get bombarded with emails every day – hang in there – this certainly isn’t my normal routine.
Onwards!
When is Conch Season in Belize?
Queen Conch season in Belize is officially open! Conch season runs from October 1st, 2023 to June 30th, 2024 or until its quota set for that period has been met, whichever comes first.
Conch is pronounced CONK – a tip for ordering your fritters, soup or ceviche in Belize.
What is Conch?
Conch is tropical marine mollusk and is native to the coasts of the Bahamas, the Florida Keys, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. As one of the most significant sources of revenue in the fishing industry, it’s a staple across Belize. It’s delicious in dishes like ceviche, fitters, curry and soups and it generates millions of dollars for Belize.
How Open Season Tackles Overfishing
Conch takes three to five years to reach reproductive maturity and they reply on spawning groups of at least 50 in order to mate. Carrying around their heavy pink and orange shells, makes chasing down mates clumsy.
Overfishing has actually closed down a lot of conch fisheries in a number of other countries such as Venezuela, Costa Rica, Haiti, Bermuda and the United States, but by following the fisheries’ regulations and an open season for conch, we can ensure that we can always eat conch in Belize.
Belizean Conch Dishes
CONCH SOUP OR CHOWDER
As we move into the cooler months for the year, nothing beats a home-cooked hearty conch soup. Get the recipe here.
CONCH FRITTERS
Crispy on the outside and an explosion of flavours on the inside, this appetizer can be eaten with a dipping sauce or alone. Get the recipe here.
CONCH CEVICHE
Fresh and delicious, enjoy with fresh fried tortilla chips. Get the recipe here.
STEW CONCH
Bursting with flavour! Get the recipe here.
Conch Shells as Jewelry
The pretty conch shells are made into beautiful jewelry here in Placencia. Just take a stroll along the famous sidewalk and you’ll come across them in the various shops along there.
Leave a Reply