The pilot project Conquer the Future was recently completed on Bonaire. The goal of this project was to investigate whether it is possible to help restore the queen conch population by releasing juvenile farmed animals into the wild.

During the project, around 150 juvenile conchs were released into the seagrass areas of Lac Bay. Before the release, a small transmitter (PIT tag) was placed on the shells, allowing researchers to track them, even when they hid in the sand or among the seagrass fields. For a year, researchers collected data on their growth, survival, and movement. All conchs grew well, indicating there was sufficient food. Some stayed near their release site, while others moved up to 32 meters per week, especially when food was scarce or currents were strong.

Monitoring the growth of the juvenile conch © Michiel van Nierop

The survival rate of the juvenile conchs was good, but the research showed that a more spread-out release is preferable. If they are too close together, predators can catch multiple animals at once. Additionally, some conchs were taken by people despite the ban. This poses a major threat to successful restoration.

Farmed conch are placed in a pen first, before they are released into the wild © Michiel van Nierop

For future large-scale outplanting projects, it is therefore important that fishing regulations are well enforced. It’s also necessary to continue raising awareness about the role of the queen conch in nature and the importance of protecting it. The queen conch is not only important for marine ecosystems but also has great cultural value for the islands.

Over the past 18 months, researchers, students, and nature organizations collaborated on this project. STINAPA Bonaire led the project, with technical advice from Carmabi. The young conchs were bred at the Queen Conch Hatchery at the Sea Aquarium in Curaçao. The animals were transported by boat from Curaçao to Bonaire by the cooperative FKUP. Piskabon helped set up the pen in the sea where the conchs acclimatized before being released. The project was funded by WWF-Netherlands and Seacology.