The Blue BioTrade Project
Ensuring the sustainability of the queen conch industry in the Eastern Caribbean has become critical. Indeed, queen conch products (i.e.: the meat, the shell, the pearls, etc...) are among the most valued marine resources in the region. Hence, the queen conch is subject to non-regulated harvest and consumption that might threaten its survival.
As a consequence, the iconic shell was listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in November 1992. This major step enables the strengthening of trade controls and better management of the queen conch in the Eastern Caribbean and the world.
Notwithstanding this important decision to protect the queen conch from overexploitation, all stakeholders who play a direct or indirect role in the conch value chain still have to mobilize efforts in order to address these challenges while exploring further trade opportunities.
The Blue BioTrade Project aims to foster the development of the conch industry in the Eastern Caribbean in a sustainable way, especially by empowering small-scale coastal producers from OECS member states to adopt environmental-friendly practices and trade strategies in domestic, regional, and international markets.
The Blue BioTrade Project
The Blue BioTrade Project is a €2 million initiative. The project mainly aims to empower small-scale coastal producers from the Eastern Caribbean to produce and trade queen conch products sustainably in domestic, regional, and international markets.
The Blue BioTrade Initiative is being implemented by the OECS Commission and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in partnership with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The project was launched in October 2021 and should be completed in 2022.
Project Status and Accomplishments to Date
Beneficiary Countries:
The Blue BioTrade Project mainly aims to foster the sustainable management of the queen conch in the Eastern Caribbean, particularly in Grenada, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Goals
The Blue BioTrade Project pursues two key objectives, including:
- strengthening the capacity of stakeholders of the fisheries sector to identify sustainable business opportunities and formulate joint actions to apply Blue BioTrade principles in the queen conch value chain and,
- providing small-scale coastal producers in beneficiary countries with enhanced sustainable production and trade opportunities in the queen conch value chain.
Activities
The activities below are currently being implemented as part of the Blue BioTrade Project in order to foster the sustainable management of the queen conch in the Eastern Caribbean:
- assessing the ecological state of conch,
- publishing reports and case studies and,
- organising webinars to facilitate knowledge sharing,
- organising regional workshops
- action plan
Resources
Access more resources on agriculture in the Eastern Caribbean via the OECS Library.
Partners
The Blue BioTrade Initiative is being implemented by the OECS Commission and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in partnership with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Contacts
Lench Fevrier
Senior Technical Specialist- Agriculture Sector
Tel: +1 (758) 455-6345
lench.fevrier@oecs.int
Natasha Deterville-Moise
Technical Specialist - Agriculture
Tel: +1 (758) 455-6332
natasha.deterville@oecs.int
