Of the 14.8 million fry planned for 2025, only 5.4 million have been produced so far this year
14ymedio, Havana, September 30, 2025 — The largest fish breeding station in Granma province and the second largest in Cuba, the René Ramos Latour Basic Business Unit (UEB), in the municipality of Bartolomé Masó, is experiencing a production crisis. Of the 14.8 million fry planned for 2025, only 5.4 million have been produced so far this year. At best, the figure could exceed 6 million, still far from what was expected.
According to an article published on Tuesday in the official daily Granma, the production debacle dates back at least to 2023 and has different causes. Two years ago there was a shortage of feed. However, this year it is the energy crisis that has taken its toll on the hatchery.
Specific conditions are required for fish to breed: “They don’t reproduce by themselves, alone in ponds,” explained Alejandro Socarrás Parra, the company technician. The cyprinids [family of freshwater fish], including white and spotted tench, common carp, wild carp and catfish, come from large rivers in Asia and Europe. “There the male goes behind the female and gently pats her abdomen until she releases the eggs and he immediately fertilizes them,” added the worker. Therefore, he said, they need a constant stream of water, because the eggs need pressure to hatch. “Otherwise, they are most likely to be born deformed or not at all.”
This year, the energy crisis has hit the nursery
Although on-site incubators are prepared to imitate this process with mechanisms that generate a current, the lack of electricity does not allow them to operate. Before this, the company installed an internal combustion engine that “has been a relief,” but not totally, because “you have to throw in more than 700 liters [185 gallons] of fuel, and often you don’t have it.” At most, it is done twice a month, Socarrás Peña said.
Another factor has been the water shortage, which has affected the entire country in recent months. In February, when the production was going according to plan, the level in the ponds dropped, causing the fry to lack oxygen and die. “They completely disappeared,” said the technician.
Despite having “20 concrete ponds,” few are in use. Catfish inhabit three of them but don’t represent large populations. The others are empty, “full of weeds or ashy concrete from so much sunlight.” Of those that contain water, none is full. “It takes a whole day of current to fill,” said the company director, Rudisnel Santos.
As there is barely electricity for three hours a day, they only fill those that are already in use
As there is barely electricity for three hours a day, they only fill those that are already in use, because the combustion engine “does not work. The pumps are huge. You need a lot of current to get them working,” remarked the official.
“A few weeks ago we made a proposal to have 12 hours of power on a daily basis for at least 10 days. With that we could fill at least four ponds. The point is that, in order to give power to this station, it must also be given to half of Masó. And that, in these times, would be like bragging about what we have while others are in need,” said Yuniesky Rosabal Rosa, director of General Services, with an air of resignation.
Another problem is the presence of “predators of all kinds. With more than 50 hectares [124 acres] of fish, up to 10 or 12 people can enter in one night.”
Although there are places available to integrate security guards, no one will take the job. “What happens with these positions is that people have already run the numbers,” said Rudisnel Santos. They pay 2,300 pesos a month for this work. “That has demotivated the troops: they don’t get money in their pockets. Political work can be adopted for it one day, but… what about food? It’s complicated. It takes sacrifice. It takes stamina,” he added.
“Political work can be adopted for it one day, but… what about food? It’s complicated. It takes sacrifice.”
Granma’s report is only a sample of the crisis in the country’s fisheries. It was also reflected in the largest reservoir of Cuba, in Sancti Spíritus. The frenetic fishing that started last year in Zaza, due to the drought, caused the cooperatives to go out and fish as much as they could.
One year later, the fish became feral, scarce and afraid to surface, which has impacted the campaign planned for this year. From 914 tons of fish that was programmed for the first four months, they barely managed to catch 658 tons.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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