English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
The fish hide from the boats and are nervous all the time. 14ymedio, Havana, May 7, 2025 — A year ago, the official press celebrated that fish from the Zaza reservoir in Sancti Spíritus could be “caught by hand” thanks to drought. Escambray had to confirm, this Tuesday, what 14ymedio warned about at the time: … Continue reading “Last Year’s “Frenetic Fishing” Leads to Shortages in Cuba’s Largest Reservoir”
Vietnam will guarantee food and fish care in Pinar del Río until 2026, but no longer 14ymedio, Havana, 14 November 2024 — In 2011, Vietnam invested money and advice in the La Juventud reservoir, located in the Pinar del Río municipality of Los Palacios, hoping that almost 15 years later the results would be satisfactory. … Continue reading “Cuba: Not Even Money and Advice From Vietnam Can Recover Fishing in the Los Palacios Reservoir”
14ymedio, Mercedes García, Sancti Spíritus, 12 July 2024 –After weeks of “miraculous fishing” in the exhausted Zaza reservoir, the Sancti Spíritus Fishing Company obtained 1,980 tons of fish, which represents an overcompliance of 113% in its semi-annual plan and 28% of what was collected throughout Cuba. With a very bad memory, the official press celebrates … Continue reading “Miraculous Fishing in the Zaza Reservoir Thanks to the Drought or How To Turn a Setback Into Victory”
The drought threatens to make the largest reservoir in Cuba disappear for good 14ymedio, Mercedes García, Sancti Spíritus, 14 June 2024 — If anyone in Cuba is enthusiastic about the current hurricane season, which is predicted to be active, it is the authorities of Hydraulic Resources in Sancti Spíritus. It has been five years since … Continue reading “Cuba’s Zaza Reservoir Is Exhausted: Where There Used To Be Fish There Now Are Grazing Cattle”
14ymedio, Havana, 20 April 2023 — The empty nets at the Zaza dam, the largest reservoir in Cuba, have become a constant for fishermen, who warn that there are not enough fish for this year. The situation is reflected in the battered results of the Sancti Spíritus Fishing Company, which closed with a production of … Continue reading “Cuba’s Largest Reservoir Fulfilled Only 40 Percent of Its Fishing Plan in the First Quarter of 2023”
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 … Continue reading “Cuba’s Second Fish Hatchery is in Crisis Due to Lack of Energy, Fuel and Water”
Several residents told the official press that maggots, mosquito larvae and snails come through the pipes. 14ymedio, Havana, 8 August 2025 — Earth, maggots, mosquito larvae and even snails have arrived in recent days in the homes of the residents of Sancti Spíritus through the water pipes. With the reservoirs at minimum capacity due to … Continue reading “With the Reservoirs Dry, the Water That Reaches Sancti Spíritus, Cuba, Is Dirty and ‘Has a Bad Smell’”
The sought-after sea snail of Camagüey is reserved for export 14ymedio, Madrid, 25 June 2024 — The sea snail of Camagūey is exempt from the disastrous panorama presented by fishing in Cuba. The colorful and sought-after giant snail is reserved exclusively for export. That, at least, is evident from a praiseworthy article published on Saturday … Continue reading “The Capture of the Sea Snail Is One of the Few Fishing Successes in Cuba”
The province’s fishing company was only able to catch half of the fish it had planned for the semester 14ymedio, Havana, 20 June 2024 — The Fishing Company of Las Tunas, Pescatun, is back in the news this Thursday for its disastrous production. In addition to the deficient capture, with a debt of 501 tons … Continue reading “With Damaged Boats, Little Fuel and Blackouts in Cuba, Las Tunas Runs Out of Fish”
14ymedio, Havana, 26 January 2023 — The latest data made public on the fishing industry in Cuba show that the sector is not escaping the deep crisis from which the country is failing to emerge. The province of Camagüey, which provides 20% of the catches at the national level, ended 2022 with only 68% of the … Continue reading “Cuba’s Fishing Sector is Facing a Deep Production Crisis”
Cubanet.org, Ernesto Perez Chang, Havana, 28 July 2015 – Between the years 2004 and 2007, 65 children from the Los Sitios neighborhood in Central Havana, 7 to 10 years of age, underwent testing in order to determine their degree of lead poisoning. The research, conducted by a team of researchers from the Cuban National Institute … Continue reading “Cancer from High Levels of Metals in Reservoirs? (II) / Cubanet, Ernesto Perez Chang”
Rosa Lopez, Havana, 17 July 2014, 14ymedio — Many Cubans opt for the informal market instead the high prices of the products in hard currency stores. Who among us has not bought cheese, ketchup or milk in illegal trading networks? However, when we acquire something in secret and do not know the seller, the chances … Continue reading “Offering Fish At Your Door? Be Careful! / 14ymedio”
HAVANA, Cuba , September, www.cubanet.org – In Cuba there are 242 reservoirs, administered by the Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH). Together, these reservoirs can accumulate 9 billion cubic meters of water. Not to mention hundreds of small dams belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture and Sugar (AZCUBA), which have the capacity to store 500 million … Continue reading “Reservoirs Overflow While Farms Lack Water / Osmar Laffita Rojas”
In the middle of the lake, a home restaurant (paladar) offers visitors local products: chicken, lamb, goat, pork and fish 14ymedio, Darío Hernández, Hanabanilla (Villa Clara), October 12, 2025 — Surrounded by hills and lush nature, the Hanabanilla reservoir, in the heart of the Escambray, is an idyllic landscape away from the garbage and insalubrity … Continue reading “The Residents of Hanabanilla, Cuba Live to the Rhythm of Boats”
Environmental destruction, a consequence of the crisis that is of little concern to Cubans 14ymedio, Havana, 1 June 2025 — Jorge has not seen a parakeet since he was 16 years old. Today, at almost twice that age, he could say the same about the tocororo [Cuban Trogon], the cartacuba [Cuban Tody] and other endangered … Continue reading “Environmental Destruction, a Consequence of the Crisis That Is of Little Concern to Cubans”