THE CAiaBBEAN AREA ~ CUBA 



There are definite indications that the Cuban fishermen, while individualistic, are 

 capable of engaging in cooperative efforts. There is no doubt that the living conditions 

 of this class can be improved greatly by government assistance. 



Boats 



The fishing industry in Cuba e^iploys more than 12,000 vessels of various types ranging 

 from 150-ton schooners, equipped with auxiliary engines and ice boxes, to small one-man sail- 

 boats or rejvfeoats. In general, most of the fishing vessels are of the schooner type, equipped 

 with S2iils. A number of these have installations of auxiliary engines, either gasoline or 

 diesel. On extended trips, fish are kept in live wells or packed in crushed ice in the hold. 

 Many of the smaller and medium-sized boats are engaged in sponge fishing during a part of the 

 time; cOid, tor this reason, these are designed primarily for sponging activities. Several 

 motor vessels of more modem design are now to be found in Cuba, and at least one of these 

 is engaged in the tuna fishery, having been built expressly for that use. While it is felt 

 that the fishing schooners are a good type of vessel for handling some types of fishing gear, 

 they have many limitations, and there is little doubt that new types of craft will be intro- 

 duced with the expansion of the pelagic fisheries. 



All of the Cuban fishing vessels are built of wood and most of them are constructed in 

 Cviba. Some of the older and larger schooners were brought in from New Bigland and Nova 

 Scotia. The Cuban shipbuilders have proved to be apt, and almost any type of fishing vessel 

 can now be built locally. 



The Campeche Bank fleet, based in Habana, comprises about 60 vessels ranging from 60 to 

 105 feet in length. There are 10 of 150 tons and 10 of 100 tons. Most of the vessels are 

 the property of several large fishing companies, but some of them are privately owned. They 

 are all of schooner type and some are equipped with motors (expecially those using ice boxes). 

 The others have no motors and carry the fish in live wells. It is said by soae observers that 

 vessels equipped with live wells cannot be equipped with motors, since it is reported that the 

 holding of live fish is impracticable when a motor is used. 



At various places along the Cuban coast, large dugout canoes or "cayucos" are used. At 

 least one of these was equipped with a motor. 



Practically all of the large vessels used are concentrated at Habana and Batabano. In 

 the other ports, the vessels are much smaller. 



Fishing Gear 



Practically all of zhe commercial catch in Cuba, as is true in other areas of the Caribbean, 

 is taken by methods which stress the fisherman as an individual rather than as a team or groi:^ 

 utilizing mechanized or mass-production eqiiipment. It was observed that handlines, small beach 

 seines, castnets, and fish pots are the predominant types of gear in use. As far as could be 

 detenained, purse-seines, otter trawls, and other types of mass-production apparatus were lack- 

 ing. Tliis indicates that the yield of the average Cuban fisherman is small and that there is a 

 wide field for introduction of more productive methods both for species now taken and for species 

 Trtiich are now neglected. Since the catch-per-fishennan is low at the present time, every effort 

 should be made to increase it. In fishing activities, this is best accomplished by team work and 

 by the use of mass-production methods. 



A novel type of fishing was observed near La Colcsna where several small canneries are located. 

 This utilizes a motor vessel fitted with a live well in which small, bait fishes are carried alive. 

 A small Vfater pump is located amidships and this is connected to a series of spray outlets placed 

 aroimd the stern of the vessel. YJhen a school of bonito is sighted, the pump is started and streams 

 of water sprinkled onto the surface of the sea from the various outlets. Nets lull of bait are 

 thrown overboard and the combined cooimotion of the water spray and bait attracts the school. They 

 are then caught in the same manner as the California tuna, that is with bamboo poles and short 



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