Retailers : 



Sanitation License Tax, about $5 paid only once 

 Agricultural License Tax, $2 or $3 annually- 

 Municipal License Tax, 6 cents daily 

 Profits Tax. 



Retailing . Most of the fish in Habana are sold at retail in the two 

 large wholesale markets, but many street peddlers buy from these markets and 

 sell direct to homes throughout the city. Fish is also sold at produce markets 

 in various parts of the city. 



Shrinkage . From the time the fish is delivered by the commercial fishing 

 companies until it is sold to consumers, there reportedly is a shrinkage of 

 33 percent in weight of live fish and about 26 percent of fish packed in ice. 

 This shrinkage is absorbed by fish-vendors at the market. 



b. Government relief; tax exemption . Owing to the scarcity of food, the 

 Cuban Government decreed exemption of several taxes. Decree No. 6U3 of March 

 27, 19U6, exempted from the Gross Sales Tax the "fishing and wholesaling of fish, 

 cetaceans, crustaceans, mollusks and sponges, providing the sale is made by 

 fishermen or outfitters; and the cleaning, scaling and retailing of fish." Decree 

 No. 1199 of May 2, 19U6, temporarily exempted fishermen and outfitters from pay- 

 ment of the Tax on Profits and the Tax on Salt Consumption (see lU-a, Taxes ). 



c. Improvements in technology, organization, etc . There is no organiza- 

 tion, except the fish cooperative in Habana (see lU-a), and no special methods 

 of financing. The Cuban fishing industry would benefit greatly if American 

 marketing methods were adopted but this, however, would entail changing consumer 

 patterns (see 10-a). 



FISHERY RESEARCH 



a. Fishery statistics for research purposes - No research. 



b. Biological . Towards the beginning of I9U6 a project was submitted 

 by the National fisheries Commission to the Minister of Agriculture for the 

 erection of a Biological Research Laboratory at a cost of $25,000 or $30,000, 

 but an adequate site has not yet been located and the funds have not been appro- 

 priated. 



c. Technological and industrial . The Cuban Government in September 19U5 

 voted $80,000, Supplemented by 819,000 voted in March I9U6/I, for the erection 



at Batabano of a plant for canning and processing fish and by-products. Construc- 

 tion has already begun and the Government expects the plant to be completed by 

 March 19h7 for delivery to the Fishermen's Cooperative at Batabano. 



In the past, the Government was urged to promote the production in Cuba 

 of mother-of-pearl from sea shells, and fertilizers and forage from algae, but 

 the Government has taken no action thereon. 



d. Sociological and economic . The Cuban Government has done some research 

 work to improve the lot of fishermen. A report submitted in December I9I4I by 

 the Cuban National Fisheries Commission 



suggested, among other improvements, the creation of cooperatives 



/l Decrees 3260, Sept. 15, 19U5, and 679, March 28, 19 U6. 



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