THE CAIOBBEAU AREA — CUBA 



cent. Fishermen may earn 50 to 100 pesos per month but the average earnings are considerably 

 lower. Under these wage circumstances, the prevailing prices do not stimulate the consumption 

 of fish aiong the laboring people. 



Marketing 



tiost of the retail sales of fish in Habana are made from display tables in the two large 

 public markets. These display tables are loaded with the vendor's stock of fish, shringj, 

 oj-sters, clams, and spiny lobsters. Water is carried to the tables in buckets. Fish on dis- 

 play, when the markets were visited in October 1942, appeared to be clean and fresh. In one 

 of these markets, the Cuban iiinistry of Agriculture inspects all unsold stocks when they are 

 removed for night storage and again at 10 o'clock in the morning. In this market the fishery 

 display tables extended for about 1,200 feet, and in the other market' there was about half 

 this amount of space devoted to the fish trade. 



An interesting fishery activity in Habana is the sale of mangrove oysters from small 

 stationary stands in the main business centers. Vendors obtain the oysters in the shell and 

 sell them in oyster cocktails with tomato sauce for a few cents a glass. Hundreds of oyster 

 cocktails are consumed daily by Habana' s citizens as they stop at these stands during the 

 course of the day's business. 



Canning and Preserving 



A considerable development has occurred in the canning and freezing industries in Cuba, 

 but little salted or smoked fish is produced. 



In October 19^+2, there were five small canneries and four of these were in operating 

 condition. These canneries, which specialize in canned spiny lobster, have recently expanded 

 their activities to other types of fishery products. At least one is preparing an excellent 

 grade of canned bonito. Others are experimenting with other species. 



The canneries are all small, usually consisting of one line, and all of the products 

 are hand packed. They are usually well arranged and clean, arid their products are quite 

 acceptable. At least one enterprise sells its products regularly in the United States market. 



The daily production is small, probably not exceeding 100 cases per day. Two canneries 

 are located at La Coloma, two at Batabano, and one at Casilda. 



Two, modem, sharp-freezing plants were visited, one in Habana and one at Batabano. It 

 is not known whether others exist. The Habana plant has a large capacity, while the one at 

 Batabano is considerably smaller. Prior to the dislocation of this industry due to shipping 

 difficulties, frozen spiny-lobster tails, fish fillets, and frogs' legs were processed for 

 export . 



At times, some fish is salted at Habana, particularly groupers and snappers. There is, 

 reportedly, some salting of shark meat. Definite possibilities exist for a salt-fish industry 

 of considerable magnitude if the raw material can be procured in sufficient and regular supply. 



Exports 



Much of Cuba's fishery activity, normally, is based on the export of certain specialty 

 products to the United States. A sizeable trade in live spiny lobsters that existed some 

 years ago has been converted recently to an even more active commerce in frozen and canned 

 spiny-lobster tails. A number of small canneries and freezing plants have been built to 

 handle this trade and fishermen have come to consider the funds realized from the sale of 

 spiny lobsters as a necessary element of income. During the Vi'ar, increasing difficulty in 

 securing shipping space and ccmtainers has virtually stopped the export trade, causing a 

 lowered demand for spiny lobsters and a consequent drop in fishing interest. Canning for 



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