THE CARIBBEAN AREA — CUBA 



i;^ to 12 fathoms. From Bahia Honda to Matanzas, the bottom-fishing area is extremely limited, 

 being confined to a very narrow coastal stidp not exceeding a mile or two in width. The only 

 exceptions are the small bays of Cabanas, Mariel, Habana Harbor, and liatanzaa. 



From Cardenas eastward to Nuevitas, a stretch of 260 miles, there is a coastal belt of 

 shallow water varying from 5 to 50 miles in width. Countless nunibers of cays and coral reefs 

 dot this expanse. It is very shallow, averaging only 1 to 2 fathoms in depth. On the sea- 

 ward side, there is a very steep drop-off into the Old Bahama Channel and Nicholas Channel. 



The remainder of the north coast has relatively little bottom-fishing area. The only 



exceptions are the bays of Uanati, Padre, Wipe, and Tanamo, and a small section between Punta 



Cebollas and Punta Mangle. Depths of two to three hundred fathoms are found immediately off- 

 shore. 



Cuba is fortunate in having a large number of well-distributed harbors, capable of 

 sheltering small fishing craft, and many of these are accessible by rail or by highway. Fish- 

 ing operations can be carried c«i during the greater part of the year in most localities, and 

 when adverse weather conditions affect fishing in the outside waters, thei-e are great expanses 

 of sheltered areas where fishing may be continued. 



Species and Distribution 



More than 450 species of edible fish are taken in Ciisan waters. Of these, only a relative 

 few are economically important at the present time. The great bulk of the catch is composed 

 of groupers, snappers, mullet, kingfish, Spanish mackerel, and jacks. The most hea.vily-expxoit- 

 ed species are the bottom forms and the reef fish. While a great number of coastal-pelagic 

 forms such as sardines, Speinish mackerel, jacks, robalo, drums, and croakers are present, the 

 types of gear in use do not capture great numbers. 



A larige part of the potential fisherji- wealth of Cuba is to be found in the offshore- 

 pelagic types of fish. Among these are the various species of tunas, swoi^fish, marlin, 

 wahoo, and dolphins. At the present time, these are practically unutilized, except for very 

 limited commercial canning operations and for sport fishing. 



Various Crustacea and mollusks occur in great abundance, particularly in the shallow- 

 water areas mentioned previously. Among these groups are the spiny lobster, the morro crab, 

 the mangrove oyster, and several species of claias. Since these species are quite available 

 to fishing, and since a very good market for them is found, not only in Cuba but for export, 

 there are increasing signs of overfishing, particularly in the case of the morro crabo 



Shcrefish, including the reef and bottom fish as well as the coastal fishes of limited 

 migration, have a wide distribution in Cuban waters, for they occur in practically all areas 

 where sufficient shallow water is found. Thus, Batabano Bay supports a large fishery for 

 these species. It is doubtful that a fishery for these types would be successful in the eastern 

 portion of the Island, for there are only very limited shallow-water areas. Without a doubt, 

 fishing operations for these species could be increased, particularly along the north coast 

 where there is comparatively little activity at the present time. 



The offshore species such as tuna are now little used. There are definite indications 

 that enormous numbers of the various migratory species pass Cuba at certain times of the year, 

 A large and productive fishery could be established using these species as a basis. However, 

 until commercial exploration is carried on, there remains only fragmentary evidence of tJie 

 actual size of the migrations. Among the indications are the experiences of sport fishermen, 

 not only in Cuban v^aters but also in the Bahamas and in Florida. At least one enterprise in 

 Cuba captures bonito (albacore) for canning. This indicates that such species are present and 

 available during a large part of the year. The operations of this company have disclosed that 

 tuna can be caught a relatively short distance from the shore with various types of equipment, 

 and activities have been centered just outside of the Cayos San Felipe on the southeastern edge 

 of the Gulf of Batabano. It has been found that the edge of the Island shelf is the most 



165 



