Fresh fish (ContJd) 



Kind 1937-Ul 19U5 



percent percent 



Nassan grouper 5 11 



Yellowtail 6 8 



Kingfish 6 7 



Inferior fish 8 17 



Others 10 12 



TS5 T0T5 



Consumption of fresh oysters averaged about 1.3 million dozen annually 

 since 1937. Roughly 16 percent of Cuba's lobster catch, or about 50,000 dozen 

 lobsters per year, is consumed fresh locally /l, while consumption of morro 

 crabs is around 8,000 or 10,000 dozen yearly. 



Consumption of fresh langostinos (river crawfish) and shrimp together 

 since 1937 averaged close to half a million pounds annually, ^"hat or clams , 

 turtle , squid and octopus aggregated almost 200,000 pounds in pre-war years and 

 less than half that quantity in recent years (see 7-a). 



b. Canned . 



Consumption of Cuban-packed tunny, bonito, albacore and sardines has 

 increased considerably in Cuba since 19U0 when production first began, and present* 

 indications are that it will increase further. Except for small exports, Cuba's 

 production which in I9U6 consisted of 20>830 cases of tunny, albacore and bonito 

 and about 5»000 cases of sardines, has all been consumed locally (see 8-b and Ap- 

 pendix VII). 



Consumption of imported canned fish and sea food during the war was 

 regulated mostly by Combined Food Board allocations. Imports since 1937 are 

 discussed fully in 11-a and 11-b. 



c. Cured (salted, smoked, pickled ). 



Prior to the war, Cuba's annual consumption of imported dry salted fish 

 was about 20 to 2$ million pounds, but during the war consumption was regulated 

 by Combined Food Board allocations. For a discussion of all cured fish imports, 

 see 11-a and 11-b. 



Consumption of domestic cured fish is covered in 8-d and 8-e. 



d. Consumption pattern, customs and prejudices . 



Although Cuba's population is mostly Roman Catholic, it is not customary 

 to eat fish on Fridays as is the custom among Catholics in the United States. 

 Consumption increases appreciably over week-ends, when housewives go to the general 

 markets to purchase for the week and include fish among the items purchased. Were 

 modern fish-markets available, the demand probably would increase considerably. 

 A suggestion was advanced by fishing circles that fish might be retailed at the 

 numerous meat-markets, but it never gained headway. 



/I bee report no. 188, ibid. 



* 1946 17 



