Tuesday, August 11th, 2015. Aaron Humes Reporting: The conch season is currently closed and a fisher man whose pregnant wife wanted the popular sea food finds himself poorer as a result.
Damien Nah of Orange Walk Town took responsibility for a find of 47 conch caught out of season and found at a police checkpoint stop on Monday.
Nah and four companions, Ronald Escobar, Julian Cob, and father and son Fonciano Coco Sr. and Jr. were being driven up to Orange Walk from Northern Fishermen Cooperative in Belize City by driver Carlos Turcios around 4:20 Monday evening when police stopped and searched the vehicle and found the conch.
Fisheries officials arrive to take possession at the corner of Philip Goldson Highway and the entrance to Vista Del Mar, about Mile 2. Nah was fined a total of $1,440 today by Magistrate Deborah Rogers after he pleaded guilty to the charge.
He was fined $500 plus $20 for each conch. He was given by October 9 to pay the fines. If he defaults on payment he will serve 6 months. The charge was withdrawn from the other occupants of the vehicle.
Conch cannot be caught and sold between June and September.