The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

CONCH vendors have given mixed reviews on the Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority’s (BAHFSA) advice to stop selling raw conch until the source of contamination leading to food poisoning cases can be determined.

Earlier this week, BAHFSA sent a release stating: “Until their findings are known, we ask that all conch vendors discontinue the preparation and sale of raw (fresh) conch dishes immediately.”

Wenzel Stuart brings in conch for sale but said business has been slow since the reports of the suspected conch poisoning.

“I brought in 500 conch and it took me more than a week to sell 500 conch,” he said. “I usually sell like 5,000 conch maybe like a day.”

Despite reports of people getting sick from eating the Bahamian delicacy, Mr Stuart said he has not been ill.

“I’m eating conch every day and ain’t nothing wrong with me. All my crew is eat conch,” he added.

“We take the conch right out of the water, break out the shell and eat it — nothing wrong with us.”

Sandra Ferguson of The Midnight Spot Restaurant and Bar at Potter’s Cay told The Tribune the establishment is still selling conch.

Asked about her reaction to the BAHFSA release, she said: “I didn’t let that bother me because people came and I mentioned to them, ‘they say don’t eat conch.’ They stand up and watch us take our conch out the water. Prepare the conch salad. Do they crack conch. Do they grilled conch. As long as they don’t have a problem, I don’t have a problem. We still selling conch honestly….It didn’t affect us and people still coming for conch salad. We have tourists and locals.

“I feel confident in our conch because our conch is always kept in the water. You know on the side of the road they don’t have no place to store their conch. Some restaurants don’t have any place to store their conch, but ours is kept directly in the water. So I don’t think we going to have a problem with anybody eating the conch.”

Meanwhile Arawak Cay Conch, Fish, Food Vendors Association President Rodney Russell showed support for the authority in safeguarding the public’s health.

“I think it was very important for the relevant authority to make those statements - reason being Arawak Cay is a responsible fish fry that believes in Bahamians and if there is an epidemic from the conch that causes persons to suffer and be uncomfortable then it is within the rights of the authority to advise the public not to eat raw conch at this time.

“…We concur with the relevant authorities to safeguard our people and those persons who love to eat raw conch.”

Mr Russell revealed that during the pandemic last year, there were some 28 or more conch vendors and this year there are about five vendors still active at Arawak Cay. With the conch poisoning starting, he estimated maybe three persons are still preparing raw conch despite being advised not to do so.