KEY WEST, Fla. — A 25-year-old woman in the Florida Keys is accused of illegally harvesting live queen conch after investigators said photos were posted to social media.
Monroe County jail records show that Madison West of Key West was arrested Aug. 21 on six counts of illegally harvesting, possessing or transporting queen conch.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that one of its investigators began investigating the case on July 8 after receiving an email through the agency's wildlife alert tip line.
The complaint alleged that photos of live queen conch aboard a vessel off Key West had been posted online.
Following interviews with the vessel's owner, operator and West, FWC said the investigator determined that West harvested live queen conch and placed them onboard the boat.
Jail records show her bond was set at $12,000.
Under Florida law:
- It is illegal to harvest, kill, molest, harm, mutilate, possess, transport or land queen conch, regardless of where they are taken
- The presence of queen conch aboard a vessel in Florida waters, while individuals are overboard, is considered evidence that the conch were illegally harvested
NOAA Fisheries in 2024 listed the queen conch as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
"The FWC takes marine life and wildlife violations very seriously and encourages the public to report them," the agency said in a news release.
The public can notify FWC by calling its Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922) or submitting a tip online at MyFWC.
