US$0.50 per Pound Levy on Exported Conch

A levy of US$0.50 has been imposed on each pound of conch exported during the 2021 conch season.

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday (May 19), approved the Conch (Export Levy) (Rate of Levy) Order Resolution to facilitate the move.

The Resolution was brought by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Floyd Green.

He informed that on April 1, the Government reopened the conch fishery, in relation to queen conch, after closing it for two years due to heavy poaching and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fisheries.

“We have reopened and put in place strict no-harvesting zones, and we have an allowable catch of 300 metric tonnes. Of note, 30 metric tonnes was set aside exclusively for the local trade, while the remaining 270 metric tonnes has been allocated to industrial queen conch fisheries for exports,” Mr. Green reported.

The Conch (Export Levy) Act imposes a duty on the export of conch. It is used, in part, to offset the cost of implementing programmes for monitoring, control, surveillance, and enforcement in relation to Jamaica’s limited conch resources.

The law requires that for each conch season the rate prescribed by the Minister must be approved by Parliament.