United States Department of the Interior, J. A. Krug, Secretary 

 Fish and Vfildlife Service, Albert M. Day, Director 



Fishery Leaflet 308 



March 10UB 



Washington 25, D. C. 



THE CUBAN FISHING INDUSTRY 

 By Joseph L. Martinez* 



Contents 



Marine Biological Labor tor; 



LIBRARY 



MAR 3-19«a 



WOODS HOLE, MASS. 



Page 



Background 1 



Location 3 



Employment h 



Fishing Vessels 5 



Fishing Methods Employed 7 



Species 8 



Fish Taken 9 



Method of Processing 12 



Production of By- Products 16 



Consumption » . . . 16 



International Trade 18 



Prices 23 



Regulations and Policies 2$ 



Internal Trade Pattern 29 



Fishery Research. 33 



Outlook Summary 35 



Statistical Information 38 



Laws and Regulations 66 



BACKGROUND 



a. 



Economic importance of the fishing industry in the economy of 

 Cuba; 3ocial and political aspects. 



The economic importance of Cuba' s fish industry may best be gauged 

 from its commercial production estimated at roughly UO million pounds annually 

 before the war, 2% million during the war and 30 million 3ince the end of the 

 war. The wholesale value of this commercial production is estimated at about 

 2.3 and 3.5 million dollars during the respective periods. No accurate data 

 are available concerning production for all ports of the Island; the above 

 estimates are based on the quantity reported for Habana with estimates for the 

 rest of the Island. 



*Foreign Service Clerk, American Embassy, Habana, Cuba, September 20, I9U6, 

 (Report No. 372) 



