October 1 marked the return of queen conch season in Belize, and in San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye that means one thing: ceviche is back on the table. Fishers headed out at dawn on opening day and came back with fresh catch, unloading and cleaning it at the Embarcadero just west of downtown while restaurant owners waited with their orders.
The season runs until June 30, 2027 — but don't bank on that date. Belize caps the harvest with a national quota, and when it's hit, the fishery closes early. Last season proved the point: despite an official end date of June 30, 2026, the 2025–2026 season shut down in early April. Anyone chasing conch soup or fritters during a Belize trip should check with local restaurants that supply is actually flowing.
Conch is a serious business here, not just a beachside snack. The Belize Fisheries Department's most recent detailed figures show the country exported 952,200 pounds of queen conch in the 2024–2025 season, worth around BZ$13.36 million. Along with spiny lobster, conch makes up the bulk of Belize's marine capture fishery export earnings. For San Pedro's fishing families it's a key income stream; for visitors, it's the reason so many island restaurants can serve classics like conch ceviche and conch soup.
Local fishers say the grounds around Ambergris Caye are still productive — some of the best spots lie off the island's less-developed northern coast — but they're worried about pressure on stocks from illegal or careless fishing, and they want the Fisheries Department to keep patrols going. As fisherman Francisco Morales put it, the resource supports both fishers and the tourism industry, so protecting it is a shared interest.
There are rules worth knowing if you plan to eat — or, with a license, fish — conch in Belize. Commercial fishers need a valid fisherfolk license and a licensed vessel, and there are minimum size and meat-weight requirements. Sale and possession rules also apply to cleaned, filleted or diced conch meat, so restaurants and buyers are expected to stay within the law. Suspicious activity can be reported to the Fisheries Department in Belize City, or locally at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve office on Caribeña Street in San Pedro.
For travellers, this is a good-news story with a caveat. If your Belize trip falls between October and June, you've got a decent shot at fresh conch — order the ceviche with lime and habanero, a local staple. Just remember the season can end abruptly, and responsible eating is part of keeping this fishery alive for the next one.
