Conch in Exuma is declining in numbers. Gone are the days when going for a swim meant taking care not to tread on these plentiful creatures, now it is a rarity to see a live conch.
Yes the demand has outstripped the supply and conservation is needed to protect the conch for future generations.
Conch become sexually mature by their third year when the lip on the shell grows. Then the female will lay upwards of a half million eggs in a gelatinous string. The eggs hatch in a few days and the juveniles bear no resemblance to a conch as we know it. After around 20 days they metamorphoses to the familiar shape and then they grow quickly to maturity in two years.
The life span of a conch varies according to whether it stays in shallow water, where it will live for around seven years, or if in deep water where it will live for 20 to 30 years.