Conch fritter fans, rejoice: After a yearlong review, the National Marine Fisheries Service has decided not to list the queen conch under the Endangered Species Act.
The ruling, which will be filed Tuesday in the Federal Register, is good news for U.S. diners who enjoy conch fritters and fried conch — and businesses that sell them.
It has been illegal to harvest queen conch in Florida for decades. But had the species been listed as endangered, it also would have become illegal to import conch.