The Turks and Caicos
Islands is a sparsely populated island country located at the
southern end of the Bahamian Archipelago. The Caicos Bank has
supported an export oriented queen conch fishery for over 100 years.
More recently, an export-oriented spiny lobster fishery developed
and a burgeoning domestic market for reef fishes is currently
developing as local tourism grows.
The main target species are Queen conch and spiny lobster, and the fisheries are
small-scale.
Major Exports of Turks & Caicos Islands are:
lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
Great information here about Turks and Caicos
Islands:
Visit Turks & Caicos Islands
A few popular types of local seafood are subject
to fishing seasons, and are not available year-round. The Caribbean
spiny lobster season is open typically from August to mid-April. The
Nassau grouper season is typically open from March to November.
Conch does have a fishing season in the Turks and Caicos, yet it
only applies to exports, and conch is usually available fresh and in
restaurants year-round.
Department of
Fisheries & Marine Resources Management
Welcome to the Turks and Caicos Island Government (TCIG) Department
of Fisheries & Marine Resources Management . As a Government
department in the Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Disaster
Management, Heritage, Gaming and Maritime, we strive to continue the
excellent legacy set by the Ministry in every conceivable way for
the Government and People of the Turks and Caicos Islands. As you
may be aware, the islands have a deep and meaningful maritime
history of which the TCI people are extremely proud. So understand
that if you are already a boat owner or planning to be a boat or
ship owner under our flag, you do this with a view of continuing the
proud traditions already set by the fore fathers of this great
island nation.
Turks and Caicos Islands GLOBEFISH Market Profile - 2019
(PDF)
Established in 1984, GLOBEFISH is a multi-donor funded project in
the Fisheries Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations (FAO), responsible for providing up-to-date
market and trade information on fish and fish products.
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Spiny Lobster |
Common During August-April Open Season |
|
Queen Conch |
Common |
|
Yellowtail Snapper |
Common |
|
Red Snapper |
Somewhat Common |
|
Grey Snapper/Mangrove Snapper |
Common |
|
Mutton Snapper |
Common |
|
Lane Snapper/Candy Snapper |
Common |
|
Nassau Grouper |
Common During March-November Open Season |
|
Hogfish |
Sometimes Available |
|
Red Hind |
Sometimes Available |
|
Rock Hind |
Sometimes Available |
|
Cero |
Uncommon |
|
Mackerel |
Uncommon |
|
Mahi-mahi |
Uncommon |
|
Wahoo |
Uncommon |
|
Blackfin Tuna |
Uncommon |
|
Yellowfin Tuna |
Uncommon |
|
Skipjack Tuna |
Uncommon |
|
Some species of fish found in
Turks & Caicos Islands:
Snappers,
groupers, jacks,
reef sharks,
rainbow runners, barracudas, bonefish, mahi mahi, ladyfish, gray
snapper, permit,
blue marlin,
white marlin, sailfish, Atlantic spearfish, wahoo, king fish,
yellowfin tuna, black fin tuna.
South Atlantic Environmental Research
Institute
The Fish and Fisheries of the Turks & Caicos Islands
Project staff spent a large amount of time in the field meeting with
fishers and collecting biological and catch information where
possible. The months of May and June produced a surprisingly large
amount of queen conch, an important fishery species in the TCI.
LOCAL SEAFOOD
Locally caught seafood has always been a
staple fare in Turks and Caicos cuisine, and fresh fish, conch, and
lobster, caught only minutes or hours prior, can often be found at
several locations on Providenciales. There are several small
dedicated fish markets around the island, and the larger
supermarkets usually stock local seafood as well. Fresh seafood is
also often sold in the central Downtown area near Town Center Mall,
from fishermen who trade from coolers in the back of trucks.
The small fish markets and the informal sales offered from coolers
in the back of pickup trucks at Downtown Providenciales typically
offer much better rates than what can be found in the grocery
stores, often at about half the supermarket prices.
Commercial fishing in the Turks and Caicos typically takes place via
small ‘conch boat’ vessels, with two or three fishermen per boat.
The ocean waters surrounding the Turks and Caicos are some of the
cleanest in the world, so our seafood is exceptional. Fish (snapper
and grouper) is usually caught on or near the barrier reef that
encompasses the Caicos Islands, Caribbean spiny lobster is found on
the barrier reef at on inshore reefs, and queen conch is collected
from relatively shallow Caicos Banks. South Caicos is the fishing
capital of the Turks and Caicos, and exports seafood both locally to
other islands, and internationally.
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