Should I eat Conch?
Hey foods class and any other budding culinary ethicists. Here’s my first food dilemma of the week: Eat the conch or don’t eat the conch.
Conch is the first local food/delicacy I’ve heard about here. Generally the food at the research center has been of the canned or boxed American kind so I was sort of excited to try something new. You may have heard of a conch shell: they’re the big spirally ones with a peeled back lip. Conch the food lives in conch the shell and is a mollusk, kind of like clams. The local traditional preparation is a sort of salad that has marinated vegetables and conch. Sounds good to me.
Problem is conch has been overharvested and there are not a lot left now. It’s on the red (avoid) list from the Monterey Bay aquarium who thinks that if we lay off the conch for a while they could come back and regain a healthier population. But they may never be available for mass consumption or mass harvest. So let’s take a vote: Should I eat the Conch? Put your vote in the comment section.
posted by Shea @ 9:21 PM
90 Comments:
I say - Don't eat the conch!
As yummy-tasty as I'd imagine them to be, they play an important role in the ecosystem, generally happily eating whatever algae they can pounce on.
Unless of course you happen to be mistaken for a bit of algae yourself and have to dispatch the attacking conch with super karate self-defense moves. Then, by all means feel free to feast upon your prize!
-Noah Doughty
MCP Science Teacher
PS - I've heard it might be possible to get conch raised by aquaculture methods specifically for food purposes. If you can get aquaculture conch then go for it!!
I say don't eat the conch. Unless you find yourself stranded on a deserted Bahaman island and there is just nothing else to eat. Is there other yummy seafood to sample?
Eat the conch!
More than likely as long as you try it, it shouldn't have to massive of an impact on the environment, the problem is over-harvesting, if you're responsible with your consumption, you should be okay.
ICT
NO SHEA DON'T DO IT! Don't eat the conch! They're to pretty to be eaten.
Secondly, if I make a graph in excell should I just e-mail it to you as an attachment??
-Sophie
LoL I'm the first person (student) to comment you I PWN'D all others!!
dont eat the conch :( poor guys
don't eat conch mmmmkay its bad mmmmmkay bad for the enviroment. and you might choke to death and make funny sounds as u die mmmmkay...
Shea,
Don't eat the conch! Maybe someday if they come back healthy and thriving...but for now I say stick to the motto: If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
Though, you eating ONE conch might not cause THAT big of a deal, every little bit helps. :)
-Brianna
I don't think you should eat the conch. It seems as though that they have been over eaten and now their population could be at risk. We don't want this species to be wiped off the face of the earth.
-Erin Walsh
MCP student
my name is michael and i say eat the conch. the reason being that if a group of 20 people all ate conch, i dont think it would really matter much. i'm sure you couldn't resist eating it anyway so go for it. My name is michael by the way mr. doughty. did i mention my name is michael?
I do not believe that you should eat the conch shells. I feel this way because it seems as though they are already being overeaten, and if they are continued to be eaten in excess, their entire population could possibly become extinct.
-Zach Silacci, MCP
i think that you should try the conch, you may never have this chance again in your lifetime! taste a little and then you dont have to eat it again. take the opportunity!
caitlin laughney
MP student
Honestly, I do not think that if one person eats conch that it will make a difference. It is not like you are going to be eating it every day, but rather only once. It is a delicasy for a reason, and, if you are going to be able to try it once, you should.
- Harrison Corbett
MCP
Is this a conch I see before me ...
To eat or not to eat that is the question...
But the answer is elusive
But one must agree that the destruction of the species will produce a void in the abundance of the delicacy and as such the selfish thing to do is to consume
As a result for the greater good I say nah
The Conti
MCP philosopher
I say no because you do not want to destroy an ecosystem when you are on an ecological expedition. You want to preserve the Earth, not destroy it.
Ed Zuchelli
MCP
Don't eat it!!! they probably taste vary good but if they are overharvested then you should set an example to help these creatures!! DONT EAT THEM!
No. Every person makes a difference, no matter how small. By not eating the conch, you help the environment, and give conches that could potentially be eaten a new chance at life. If enough people refuse to eat conches because they are concerned about the population's survival, they could potentially regain stability.
-Rebecca Kudija
Honors Biology, Ninth Grade, MCP
In my opinion, i say DON'T EAT THE CONCH!! Because if everyone kept on eating the conch, then eventually conch would become very rare and almost impossible to find. If that heppend, then the balence in the ecosystem would be thrown off, and that would lead to many other problems.
Ali Thornton
Hon. Bio student at MCP
i say don't eat it. It may taste good but, you might get diseases from it. you never know what could be harvesting in the body of a foreign sea animal. If you want to eat crazy raw food i suggest you make your next trip to France :P Tucker@MissionPrep
I don't think you should eat the conch. If their numbers scarse it wouldn't do the population any good to keep killing them.
-Annie M.
I don't know. I think it may be exciting to eat the conch, but because there are so few of them I guess no, don't eat it. They probably don't even taste that good. Have the halibut instead. Or if you do have it split it with someone. Or have the aquaculture conch like Mr. Doughty was talking about. :)
Helena Olivieri
MCP
Don't eat the conch. The reefs and the animals living in them are already under enough pressure from global warming, pollution, over harvesting, etc. Save the ecosystem you went out to study!!!
-J. Stratton
MCP student
I thought ecologists were supposed to study the environment they work in, not eat it!
-Arzena Aradeleis
Since the population of the conch is depleated in this region I guess you should not eat it. Personally I don't find conch very apatizing based on first look, but I know people who do. Since this is a situation due to heavy consumption of the organism, something is bound be done if the people of this island want to continue to eat their delicacy
- S.DaRosa
Student MCP p. G
I don't think you should eat the conch. I understand that it may be very appetizing, but seeing as it is in danger, I think it's best to save them while we can. And your example may lead others to do the same and not eat conch, restoring them to a healthy population all the faster.
- Nicole Malek
MCP student
I say - Don't eat it
They are dying off and eating it would just add to it. Would you like to be eaten?
-David Tompkins
MCP Science Student
I agree with Mr. Doughty. Conches (or is it conchs? Conks? Or just plain conch? Neh, first one sounds right. English is a funny language, innit?) are an important part of the ecosystem. Besides, if their population is going down the *ahem* porcelain bowl (figuratively) then its best you leave them alone. Maybe wait until it's out of the danger zone (if that happens in our lifetimes) until you chow down on said confusing-plural mollusk.
-Kylie
MCP student
Known to some as Hufflepuff Ninja (I'd show you some of my *coughnonexistantcough* mad ninja skills, but, you know, it's the internet....so...yeah.)
Eh i wouldnt.
preventing extinction of a dying species kinda tops eating a good meal. I mean bummer but hey you'll live... not necassarily the case for them..
-Kathleen Kelley
MCP Student
I don't think you should eat the conch!
I'm sure the effect our ecosystem in one way or another! So I say no.
But if you did, I'm sure there was a good reason.
- Amanda Souchek
MCP Student
Angie R.
MCP
If the eating of conches has caused a severe decline in the population, i don't think you should eat the conch.
Angie R.
MCP
If the eating of conches has caused a severe decline in the population, i don't think you should eat the conch.
i say- Eat!
hey your there you might at well give it a try. its not like your eating the last one on earth!
~whitey007
MCP ya thats right doughty!
EAT THAT CONCH.
I personally have been to the Carribien where there are multitudes of conches. I think you should eat them, because most people do not use them as a regular meal.
A better way to used them is to make good use of the shells. The water in my shower comes out of a shell. It looks really cool and is making good use of a conch shell. They also make good lights and can be used for as many things as you can think up!
- Spencer MCP student
I think that you should not eat the conch because the population has been so depleted by all of the people that have been eating them there. They may be good...but its not worth destroying a population of animals.
-Joey Miller
MCP student
I say... Do not eat it...
THowever hat i sonly if you do not want them to be endangered. If that is not a concern then go right ahead.
- Savannah Merrill
MCP Student
I don't think you should eat the Conch because it important that we conserve our world's resources especially if they are endangered- plus you could get really sick and need medical attention... but that's kinda a minimal chance-
Mackenzie Starr
MCP Student
only the strong survive, if you're hungry eat the conch
-kevin laird
only the strong survive, eat the conch
-kevin laird
mcp student
don't eat it. but if you do make a horn out of the shell for me.
lovekim
Patrick Woolpert from MCP said
Don't eat it because they are needed for the cosystem to function and there are very few of them left in the enviroment they are almost extinct
i dont think you should eat the conch they are an important part of the ecosystem and they need to be protected
Patrick Woolpert MCP
i think that you should eat one conch so that you will be able to fully experience the cultural aspect of the bahamas but other than that, I don't think you should indulge yourself in the quickly dissappearing conch.
MCP student
Rachel Ronca
i think that you shouldnt eat the conch. if they are truly on there way to endangermant then they should be protected. u should only eat one if u know that they are aquacultured conches. have fun eith the rest of your trip!!! :)
-Sean Marcum
-MCP Student
sure eat a lil conch just so you can say u've tried it. even though the conch population is getting really low, it is a part of the culture there to eat some so i say try it once & then let it be :) ur not going to wipe out the whole species by eating one
jessica e
mcp
Shea, my advice is to not eat the conch. If they are taht endangered that the Monterey Bay Aqaurium says so then they are a very endangered species. So for now let's lay off of the conch and save the delicacy for another time
Devanee Richards
MCP student
I do not believe you should be eating conch. Eating too many conchs could disrupt the ecosystem. I think it wouldn't hurt to try it.
MCP, Austin ferro
I think that you should not eat a conch unless it is a life or death situation because if you eat too mny it could eventually end up hurting the enronment.
-Scott Gill, MCP
EAT IT!
Pluses:
The shells look sick, so you can maybe keep a shell if you eat it.
It will taste good probably.
You won't be able to try it again.
You will be able to tell people you tried it.
Minuses:
None.
-Elijah
Do it.
you probably shouldn't eat the conch. They will most likely be infested with parasites: tapeworms etc. But, if you want to your spleen to be consumed from the inside....it's your life.
-Zach MCP Student
Don't kill the conch! Even if you are only one less person to eat conch, that is still one more conch that can roam free (for now). If the conch do go extinct (poor little guys) the ecosystem can go all out of wack! ok, probably not, but i bet there are plenty of other delicious seafood delicacies that don't hurt the conch population and better, that don't come out of a can!
-Stephanie Voltero
MCP Student
i would definitely eat it. its something new and could be delicious...so they might be dying out but you should eat it because it would be an adventure.
celina
MCP
I think you should not eat the conch. Even though they taste good they may become endangered if too many people eat them. If you don't, you will be doing your part to save them.
Andrea F.
MCP student
I say don't eat the conch either.
I'm sure that there are other things that you can eat (and I'm pretty sure that they may not be as expensive!") on the menu. If you have absolutely no other choice but to eat the conch or starve, then go right ahead and eat it! If there are ways to get a lot of conch back into the ecosystem, then go and eat it.
Another thing is, not many people know about the red list of things not to eat from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, so not many other people know or even care about the diminishing conch population. But for now, I say no.
-Katherine Usavage
MCP Student
Being that I dont really care much about 'conch', I say eat the little punks. I dont think they should be able to play the "endangered" card every time they get eaten/'overharvested'. Eat em all, and send us a shell
First Name: Billy
Last Name: Sukoski
School: MCP
I say you eat the conch. Eating one won't cause the species to go extinct or have a dramatic affect on the ecosystem and its a good cultural experience. Go for it ... its probably good.
Clareanne Goschke
MCP student
I would avoid further consumption of the conch. Even though the difference you would make might be small, every little bit helps when saving the environment. When the conchs are able to regain a healthy population you will be able to indulge in their delicacy knowing you helped :)
- Kelsey M.
MCP
i say eat the conch if it is offered to you dead, but if someone offers to kill one for you to eat tell them not to
-Taylor Whitaker MCP
I say eat the conch, because you never know when your gonna get to try it again! Just don't have more than one.
Andrea C.
MCP
It could potentially disappear, but i believe in being able to tell someone that you tried something new. Try the conch, but only once and try not to encourage others to eat. Also, help raise more awareness on the subject.
Paul Raya a.k.a Pablo, MCP student
I say eat the conch... It's a new experience and the only reason why I wouldn't eat it is because I could get everyone else to stop eating it, which is unlikely. So eat it while its still on the menu.
Patrick Foran
MCP Student.
I say eat the conch... It's a new experience and the only reason why I wouldn't eat it is because I could get everyone else to stop eating it, which is unlikely. So eat it while its still on the menu.
Patrick Foran
MCP Student.
Don't eat the Conch!!!!!!!!
If they are already being overharvested don't encourage it!
I vote no!
-Kayla Gregory
MCP Sudent
Hey,
i dont know if it would be that tasty... there are much more appetizing things you could snack on... and you dont always have to ... you know "When in Rome do as the Romans do"
MCP student
Danielle Brescia
I would suggest not eating the conch. As an endangered species, eating it would probably not help its population. It probably tastes like chicken anyway.
arturo mcp
I think you should not eat the conch because their population is slowly decreasing and they can get get wiped out. Even if your just one person it still makes a difference because many people quote that its just once but over time it will become wiped out if you do it.
-Aryan Eslambolipour
MCP
Don't eat it! Wait for a better time, preferrably when they are not in the "red" section. Although, they do sound quite tasty and as soon as they are not on the "don't eat list" I would love to try them.
Cat Hall
MCP
I have included the recipe for a delectable Conch Fritter, so if you can find the spices and what not, i recommend it.
Ingredients:
12 conchs (about 2 lb) meat extracted, cleaned and ground in a food grinder
3 eggs,separated, and the whites stiffly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 large tomato, peeled seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp.salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup fine cracker crumbs
1 Tbsp. cream (optional)
Directions:
Combine the conch meat,egg yolks,onion,tomato,parsley,garlic,salt and pepper,and crumbs. Blend thoroughly. If the mixture is too stiff to drop from a spoon,blend in the cream. Fold the egg whites into the mixture. Heat a well oiled iron skillet or griddle to sizzling. Drop the mixture by tablespoons onto the hot pan. Cook until browned on one side-about two minutes-then brown the other side.
Serves 4 to 6
Nice with lime juice, tartar sauce or lemon butter.
MMM MMM good,
Billy Sukoski
Mission College Preparatory
PS I've also included the URL to a site with even more scrumptious recipes http://seafood-recipes.epicurean.com/asc_results.jsp?title=Conch
idk this is a tough choice. the problem with the conch is over consumption and harvesting. i dont necessarily think a single person eating one is going to make a huge effect. i beleive the government in the bahamas needs to make some type of restriction on their harvesting, becuase unless that happens, they will continue to be over harvested, but i dont know how likely that is to happen. But, as you are a biologist, it is a part of your job to protect the environment, especially those species that are endangered. if you try to protect endangered species while helping to destroy them, you are being quite a hypocrite. and chances are the conch taste pretty similar to other shellfish and you arent missing out on much.
-Dylan Harris, MCP student
I don't think you should eat the conch. If everyone eats them, there could be no more on this planet, which wouild be very sad. All though eating them would be a once in a life time chance, I would want everyone to be able to get the chance to see them, as they do have an important role in our enviornment.
I say don't eat the conch because they are being over eaten as it is and they should not become extinct because of us eating them
Anthony Martin
MCP
Dear Ms. Pickelner,
This is quoted from the always* accurate* and forever* trustworthy* wikipedia.com.
Here is part of an article on Conch shells.
The animal inside the shell is eaten, either raw, as in salads, or cooked, as in fritters, chowders, gumbos, and burgers. In East Asian cuisines, the meat is often cut into thin slices and then steamed or stir-fried. In El Salvador, live conch is served in a cocktail of onion, tomato, cilantro, and lemon juice. Lemon juice is squeezed onto the cocktail, causing the conch to squirm, and then the whole thing is slurped down whole, as in the manner of oysters. Conch meat is also often confused with "Scungilli", which is more accurately whelk meats. All parts of the conch meat are edible. However, most people only find the white meat appetising.
Conch shells are sometimes used as decoration, as decorative planters, and in cameo making. In classic Mayan art, conches are shown being utilized in many ways including as paint and ink holders for elite scribes, as bugles or trumpets, and as hand weapons (held by combatants by inserting their hands in the aperture). The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped the sea and often depicted conch shells in their art. Some American Aboriginals used cylindrical conch columella beads as part of breastplates and other personal adornment.
In popular folklore, it is believed that if one holds an open conch shell (or any other large marine snail shell) to the ear, the ocean can be heard. This phenomenon is caused by the resonant cavity of the shell producing a form of pink noise from the surrounding background ambience.
In some Caribbean and African American cemeteries conch shells are placed on graves. (The Last Miles of the Way: African Homegoing Traditions, 1890-Present, edited by Elaine Nichols).
In some countries, cleaned Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) shells or polished fragments are sold, mainly to tourists, as souvenirs or in jewelry. Without a permit, however, export is a breach of CITES regulations and may lead to arrest. This is most likely to occur on return to the tourist's home country while clearing customs. In the UK conch shells are the ninth most seized import.
Conch shells are occasionally used as a building material, either in place of bricks or as bulk for landfill.
To sum that up, Conches (scientifically named, Strombus gigas) are used in many aspects of different cultures around the world. For food, religion, etcetera.
These shells, et alli, have been around in our world for a considerable amount of time (off the top of my head I'd say, give or take 100 jillion years*).
Conflicting reports* show that humans cannot survive without integrating the conch shells into their diets. So, this begs the question whether you want humans to die off or conch shells?
In fact while texting one of my friends, who happens to be a conch shell himself (yes he has a verizon cell phone so it was free, don't worry), he let slip that there are millions of conch shells living under the Witness Protection Program in Antarctica. They had some crazy involvement in the transport of illegal drugs throughout many cities in Latin America, that were controlled by the Italian Mob, its really safer for you if you dont know. Every few years when the Caribbean conch population is depleted, the WPP will fly in 2 planes full of conches to be placed randomly into the environment in order to maintain balance in the ecosystem.*
So that takes care of the questions of need to humans and the so-called ethical problem that eating the conches will ruin the ecosystem.
Now that we have moved past that, let me ask you how many people you know have eaten a conch shell?*
Don't you want to make the leap to join this elite fraternity of scientists?*
I believe that my homeboy, Tupac Shakur (commonly known as 2Pac), may have said it best in the song Life Goes On, "We the last ones left, but life goes on."
Now you may ask how that relates at all to this, lucky though I am here to answer your question.
Life goes on. Death is a part of life, it happens to everyone at times that nobody can predict. But when you're living no matter what is dying around you, your life perseveres and continues the struggle. Your life goes on.
You may not get this opportunity ever again and I suggest you take full advantage. I believe the good work you are doing on this trip will outweigh any harm caused by your meal. It would be wrong of you NOT to eat it.
Thank You,
-Ray Hurwitz (10th grade, MCP)
*- denotes sarcasm........you know what this entire comment so far has been sarcastic
Real Comment:
No but seriously, eat the conch shell because we are the dominant species on the planet and in my humble, modest, brilliant, and overwhelmingly erudite opinion, the positives (satisfy your hunger, gain an experience that you will never be able to attempt again, helping the environment through your mission) outweigh the negatives (possibly hurting the ecosystem, although nearly everything you do is altering the ecosystem, through the eating of a shell) in this matter.
Don't eat the conch. We are going to make them extinct.
Anthony Martin
MCP
-Ray Hurwitz (10th grade, MCP)
Eat the conch shell because we are the dominant species on the planet and in my humble, modest, brilliant, and overwhelmingly erudite opinion, the positives (satisfy your hunger, gain an experience that you will never be able to attempt again, helping the environment through your mission) outweigh the negatives (possibly hurting the ecosystem, although nearly everything you do is altering the ecosystem, through the eating of a shell) in this matter.
Eat it, one conch won't matter. As long aren't eating them for every meal while you're there, it's fine.
Besides, if the efforts to preserve the species fail, and it becomes extinct, you'll at least be able to tell your friends "Yeah, I ate one of those back when they existed"
Niels Smidth, MCP Student
no
they arent many left, wait till later years when there are more in the envirnoment
Tricia
I say don't eat it because it will hurt our ecosystem and it might taste bad
Sean Robinson
MCP Student
i dont think you should eat the conch !!!!! save the species from becoming endandgered. I like conch but they are disapearing.
Kori Disarufino
P.S. i am an MCP student
Hello Ms. Pickelner,
I believe that you should eat the conch shell. You will not get many opportunities in life like this so go ahead and make yourself happy.
-Kyra Joseph
Mcp Student
dont eat the conch. there probably pretty gross anyways and there too pretty to eat. besides, what if there like poisonous or something and these Bahamnain people just want to kill off all the stupid american tourists by feading them poisonish shellfish????!!! Dont eat it. -Emily Stenger, 9th grade MCP student
Don't eat the conch you'll kill out a species. Can you live with that guilt conch killer?
--Brian McAllen
IF YOU EAT IT. I'LL EAT YOU!
--CONNER JORDAN--
Hi Shea, I think that you shouldn't eat the conch sheel because the population is going down and it doesn' seem like it would be very tasty. So hopefully you take my advice well I hope to see you soon bye
-John Sansone
-MCP student
-Hon Bio 10th
i think you shouldn't eat the conch. if they are endangered on the reef, then one conch will make a difference. if everyone who visited the reef had just one conch, the conches would be all gone. don't eat it!
emily von dollen
MCP
I wouldn't eat the conch.
When one person refrains from eating it, it helps others recognize that it is being over harvested and then people will slowly quit overconsuming them.
One person can make all the difference.
Ally K.
MCP
Eat The Conch. If God had not intended them to be eaten then they wouldnt taste so good.
Go Eat a big juicy Conch wile you still legally can.
Quinn T.
Chatholic High Scool Student
I dont think you should eat the conch. I think the environment is very important and there is already enough harm being done to it so we should do as much as we can to help it.
Claire M.
MCP student
I say no because the conch are becoming endangered and by eating more this could cause them to die off.
-madison goulart
MCP
I believe that eating the conch might prove invaluable to it's survival. Claiming you have eaten the conch you can spread word of its horrible taste to fellow Americans, therefore ensuring it's survival from ferocious tourists.
-Austin C.
MCP student
No, you shouldn't eat conch.
The action would harm the ecosystem, and would contradict your motives of protecting the coral ecosystem.
PS: Good thing that you already didn't :)
I don't think you should eat the conch....they are rare and by eating one you would be contributing to the extinction of this beautiful organism.
Abbey S.
MCP Student
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