Public Hearing and Extension of the Public Comment Period to the Proposed Rule to List Queen Conch Under the Endangered Species Act

From NOAA November 9, 2022 … NOAA Fisheries will hold a virtual public hearing and reopen the public comment period related to the proposed rule to list the queen conch as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Since the hearing will be held online, the public can join by internet or phone regardless of location.

The public hearing on the proposed rule will be held online on November 21, 2022, from 5:30pm to 8:00pm (Eastern Standard Time).
The public comment period will open on November 10, 2022, and close on December 15, 2022.
You can join the virtual public hearing online or by phone (for audio only), as specified on this website: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/queen-conch#protected.

Proposed Rule
On September 8, 2022, we published a proposed rule to list the queen conch (Aliger gigas, previously known as Strombus gigas) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We have completed a comprehensive status review for the queen conch. After considering the status review report, and after taking into account efforts being made to protect the species, we have determined that the queen conch is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout its range. Therefore, we propose to list the queen conch as a threatened species under the ESA. Any protective regulations determined to be necessary and advisable for the conservation of the queen conch under ESA would be proposed in a subsequent Federal Register announcement. We solicit information to assist this listing determination, the development of proposed protective regulations, and designation of critical habitat within U.S jurisdiction.