THE CARI3BEA1>I AREA ~ a'BA 



south coasts that are prized highly by gane fishermen. These supplies should be carefully 

 ■watched to prevent depletion that will depreciate their values in the future. An increase 

 in tourist travel in Cuba is inevitable and the value of this tourist trade to Cvban com- 

 merce should eventually become one of the most important sources of the country's revenue. 

 For these tourists and the thousands of United States citizens who would like to establish 

 vacation homes in Cuba, the gane fishes are going to be a very strong attraction. Among 

 the most important of these game species are tarpon, bonefish, king mackerel, Spanish 

 mackerel, tuna, jacks, and marlin. 



CONaUSIONS AND RECOIWENDATIONS 



Because of the great value of Cuba's existing fishery industry, the large potential 

 importance of her unused fishery resources, and the vulnerability of her resources to 

 depletion from over fishing, it is reccomended that Cuba adopt a national fishery policy 

 and that steps be taken to formulate and initiate a national fishery program. The national 

 policy should provide directicm to the Cuban fishery industry to make the greatest possible 

 contribution to the Vlar effort that the resources can safely give. It should also provide 

 for the long-range management of Cuban fishery industry to insure that the resources are 

 used and conserved to the best interests of the people of Cuba. 



II 



To accomplish the objectives of a national fishery policy, it is recommended that there 

 be established as a part of the government a national fishery agency vdth the following 

 characteristics : 



1. This agency snould have complete responsibility for the administration of the 

 fishery resources. It also should have authority to adequately discharge these responsi- 

 bilities. If laws that provide for such work are not now existent, they should be 

 enacted. 



2. This agency should be staffed vdth the most competent technical and administrative 

 personnel available in Cuba. If desired by the Cuban Government, fishery experts from the 

 United States might be engaged to assist in the initial development of the agency and the 

 planning of its program. 



3. This agency may be set up either as an independent organization or as a branch 

 of some established govemaental agency, 



III 



It is recommended that the national fishery agency establish sections dealing with the 

 following fields of research. 



1. Fishery technology and exploration; 



2. Fishery biology; and 



3. Fishery statistics and economics. 



In addition to this, it sould undertake, as desirable, rehabilitation of depleted areas, 

 fish and shellfish culture, sanitary inspection of processing and markets, and other operations. 



Discussion 



The Mission vras impressed by the richness of Cuba's fishery resources and the amount of 

 interest in fishery developnent. Cuba's coastal fishes must be systematically protected by 

 the Government against overfishing if they are to be a continuing asset to the Republic, and 



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