Two men are facing charges after they were caught illegally taking 86 conch from a marine reserve in the Barkers area of West Bay.
Department of Environment conservation officers seized 86 conch totalling 40 pounds during an operation late last month. The two men were warned for intended prosecution.
Chief conservation officer Mark Orr, through a post on the DoE Facebook page, said the two suspects face charges of taking marine life from a marine reserve and taking conch above the daily limit.
Conch season is ongoing and the legal limit is five conch per person or 10 per boat per day.
“This is a strong reminder that although conch is currently in season, the marine park boundaries and rules remain in full effect. When people poach our fisheries, they severely jeopardize their ability to replenish and continue producing enough food for everyone,” Orr said in the post.
The DoE urged the public to “respect our marine park boundaries, catch limits and seasons so we can continue to enjoy local seafood for generations to come”.
The seized conch was donated to Meals On Wheels which was turned into meals for seniors at their George Town and West Bay kitchens.
Orr reminded the public that if they see something, they should “say something”.
Reports of suspicious activity can be submitted via phone or WhatsApp to 916-4271 or by calling 911.
“Providing as much information as possible, as soon as possible, can help cases move through to prosecution, especially if you call when the illegal activity is still in progress. Together, we can prevent poaching,” he said.
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These people deserve serious jail time, it seems West Bay features prominently in this type of activity. One wonders how much of this illegal activity goes undetected.
They should be made an example of. The reefs are dying. There is more coral bleaching than ever. Fish life is very important to sustain healthy reefs. Taking any kind of life out of the water is bad.