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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
The BNT fielded three teams in Marathon Bahamas recently to raise awareness for Conchservation. They presented the educational message: “Act today to Ensure Conch for Tomorrow". Conchservation Team Gigas came third in the female relay category. Team Strombus placed 7th in the male relay, and Team Lobatus finished 9th in the male relay. From left (standing) are: Lindy Knowles, Scott Johnson, Antone Barrow, Steven Wright, Krista Sherman, Kristof Francois, Agnessa Lundy, Anwar Rolle, Lakeshia Anderson, Cameron Saunders and Dr. Craig Dahlgren. From left (kneeling): Astra Armbrister-Rolle, Raquel Rolle and Daronique Young - Miss Earth Bahamas.
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The Bahamas National Trust’s ‘Conchservation' campaign fielded
three relay teams in the Marathon Bahamas event this past
weekend(January16-17) in an effort to build public support for
a sustainable conch fishery.
Marathon Bahamas, organised on New
Providence by Sunshine Insurance for the past seven years, was recently
named one of the best races in the world by top British magazine,
Runner’s World.
Scores of runners from around the world competed
in Nassau over two days in a 26-mile marathon, a 13-milehalf-marathon, a
3-mile run/walk, and a 26-mile relay race.
This is the fourth
year that Conchservation Teams have participated in Marathon Bahamas.
The teams fielded were named Lobatus, Strombus and Gigas - all
scientific terms for the queen conch
According to BNT Marine
Science Coordinator Agnessa Lundy: “This was a great way to raise
awareness of the issues facing the Bahamian conch fishery while having
fun."
Conchservation is a national campaign geared towards
sustaining the country’s declining conch populations. It connects the
BNT with scientists,corporations and government agencies to share
information and advance public education.
Conch fisheries in
Florida and the Caribbean have collapsed, mainly due to over fishing. The
Bahamas is one of the few places in the region that still has a viable
conch fishery.
One of the biggest threats to conch in The
Bahamas is the harvesting of juvenile conch - sometimes called rollers.
Each juvenile conch taken represents thousands of new conchs that will
never be born. If you can break the lip of a conch shell, that’s an
immature conch.
Recent surveys of Bahamian fishing grounds
indicate that conch populations are seriously threatened by over fishing.
Studies comparing populations today and 20 years ago in the same
location shows much as a 90 per cent decline.
Experience
in Florida and other Caribbean nations show that recovery of conch
populations is very slow once populations fall below thresholds for
reproduction. Releases of hatchery-reared conch have not been successful
in rebuilding stock, and natural populations need to be conserved,
scientists say.
Conch is a cultural icon in the Bahamas
and an important fishery resource, generating about $5 million annually.
According to Lakeshia Anderson, BNT Parks Planner, “Bahamians and
visitors love conch, so it's important to make sure that conch will
always be in our future.”
© Copyright 2016 by thebahamasweekly.com
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