Means of Fishing are Confiscated
to Residents of a Havana Beach

by Moisés Leonardo Rodríguez Valdés, Decorum Group

Havana, April 30, 2004 - (www.cubanet.org) - In a police raid made in Rosario Beach, in the Havana Municipality of Güines, boats, fishing nets, swimming fins, fishing lines, tractor inner tubes used as vessels, were confiscated, as well as other means used for fishing, the fundamental way of surviving for the residents of that area.

The motive of such raid, that happened last April 12, was to find a stolen engine, according to an explanation given by the source of this information, which requested anonymity. When arriving at the place, two police patrol cars and a vehicle with "red berets" (specialized police) with the before mentioned purpose, they included what they described as other illegalities which resulted in the before mentioned confiscation.

Fishing is only allowed in the country to State fishermen and those qualified as sport fishermen. The latter require an official recognition and are under severe restrictions and high fees to keep such status, especially in those cases where the sport fishermen have boats.

Two young men were arrested and spent several days under the charges of having twelve lobster tails in their possession.

At the triumph of the present Government over the former dictatorship, Cuba was one of the principal countries in Latin-America in fresh fish's consumption, and above other countries now developed.

At the present time, the rationed consumption is limited to small amounts of fish. No more than one pound per person once a month.