CFMC UPDATES
March 2024
In the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC)'s bulletin you will find announcements, facts about marine species, and valuable information on fishing and rule that regulate this activity in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Queen Conch in the US Caribbean? WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE
Recently, the queen conch was listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. This law provides a framework to conserve and protect endangered and threatened species and their ecosystems or critical habitats.
This designation does not change existing laws and regulations.
Here below, we include a summary of current laws and regulations:
FEDERAL WATERS / ECONOMIC EXCLUSIVE ZONE (EEZ) OF PUERTO RICO (9-200 nautical miles) & ST. THOMAS/ST. JOHN, USVI (3-200 nautical miles)
FISHING FOR QUEEN CONCH IS PROHIBITED
ALL YEAR ROUND ALL YEAR ROUND
FEDERAL WATERS (EEZ) WEST OF 64°34ʹ W LONGITUDE IN ST. CROIX, USVI
FEDERAL WATERS (EEZ) EAST OF 64°34ʹ W LONGITUDE IN ST. CROIX, USVI
*NOTE: Fishing season ends once 50,000 pounds quota is reached.
PUERTO RICO LOCAL WATERS (0-9 nautical miles)
ST. THOMAS/ST. JOHN & ST. CROIX, USVI LOCAL WATERS (0-3 nautical miles)
Look for the queen conch fact sheet at https://issuu.com/caribbeanfmc/docs/queen
ALL YEAR ROUND ALL YEAR ROUND
JUNE 1 THROUGH JUNE 1 THROUGH OCTOBER 31 OCTOBER 31
AUGUST 1 THROUGH AUGUST 1 THROUGH OCTOBER 31 OCTOBER 31
JUNE 1 THROUGH JUNE 1 THROUGH OCTOBER 31 OCTOBER 31
WOMAN I VANESSA RAMÍR
During the month of March, we commemorate Women and acknowledge their work and contributions to our society. As part of this, we highlight Vanessa Ramírez, Vice-Chair of the CFMC, in this newsletter.
Vanessa Ramírez was born, and currently resides, in Cabo Rojo, PR and has known about fishing since she was a child. When she was a little girl, she used to fish in the farm’s stream with her grandfather. As a young adult, she opted for recreational fishing and since 2010, she has been linked to commercial fishing She has worked in fish markets sales and management since 2012.
Vanessa, as an active person in her community and passionate about fishing, has always been interested in participating in the decisionmaking and management processes of fishing resources. She has been a member of the Council since August 2018 and in August 2023, she was assigned as Vice-Chair In addition, she is part of the Marine Resources Education Program (MREP)’s Steering Committee in Puerto Rico and is involved in educational efforts in Puerto Real, Cabo Rojo.
“I a is m
represent our commercial fishers in the best way,” said Vanessa
Like most fishers, Vanessa wants fish and fishing not only for today but for tomorrow as well. She sees the Council as a mechanism to communicate the points of view of the fishing community and stay updated.
“It is extremely important to be able to know and prepare properly for these types of meetings and to continue learning from the processes, and the experiences and skills of other colleagues who cross our path. The active participation of fishers is important to set our reality on record,” she pointed out.
The CFMC thanks Vanessa for the conversation and the picture provided.
THREATENED THREATENED
ENDANGERED
What is the difference between a threatened species and an endangered species?
Any species that is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range, or a species that, at present, is not at risk of extinction, but will probably become an endangered species in the future.
Any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, or a species that currently, is in risk of extinction.
