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: the frantic fishing that ensued made the fish suspicious, scarce and afraid to come to the surface.
Escambray uses the Creole term ’huyuyo’ to refer to fish. It means that the animal not only tends to run away from light but also is always nervous. Zaza fishermen had a 914 ton plan in 2024 for the first quarter of the year. Given the conditions of the reservoir, only 658 tons were caught.
The newspaper has a bad memory. It says it doesn’t understand why, if last year “closed with good productive results,” now the numbers do not add up. Escambray itself was the first to admit, in May 2024, that the largest reservoir of Cuba “was dying” and that, in order not to lose food, the cooperatives had to launch themselves into the water to fish all they could. Acopio’s trucks were even waiting for them on the shore.
Now, to the drought – environmental conditions have not changed – is added what the newspaper calls “the low manifestation of species,” a euphemism that has led to the creation of brigades with a special craft: the “tracking” of fish.
The job of these fishermen is to “track them down to the last speck of water in Zaza and other reservoirs”
The work of these fishermen is to “track them down to the last speck of water in Zaza and other reservoirs.” Virtually all those engaged in this work in the area – about 13 brigades – are involved, and they claim that with their search techniques they will be able to meet the 3,035 tons per year in the plan, 28 tons more than required in 2024.
Meeting the target is difficult, not only because of the lack of fish but also because of the condition of the boats. Last year there was already a complaint that the boats were precarious and that there was no way to repair them. Now, the bureaucrats at the Sancti Spíritus Fishing Company recognize that the picture is much worse.
There is talk of the breakdown not only of boats but also of tractors carrying cargo. The targeted strategy affects the wellbeing of the fisherman: he was ordered to “recover fishing days”; that is, work longer and place two brigades of fishermen on the same boat, another point of conflict. In addition, “there is a shortage of oil, spare parts and other resources.”
As if the situation weren’t difficult enough, this year an invasive plant that “covers a large part” of the reservoir has been reported. However, Escambray does not say which plant it is.
A year ago, the authorities admitted that of the 1,020 million cubic metres of water that Zaza could hold, it had only 132,600, 13% of its capacity. The number was enough to make one scream out loud, but the reaction – in a moment of extreme shortage – was to fish as much as possible before the fish died. Then, it was enough to stretch out a hand; there was no need to throw in a hook or use a net. The term that became fashionable then in the newspaper was “accelerated fishing,” and it applauded the benefits it would bring to food production in the province.
Silence about the drought cost Zaza dearly. In 2023, fishermen warned that the fish were not developing properly and that catching them early would have a strong environmental impact.
At that time, the reservoir was facing dirt and excess vegetation, although provincial managers assured they had cleaned 13.5 hectares thanks to a fuel supply for this purpose.
The Zaza reservoir was created in 1975, and, according to the official encyclopedia Ecured, 264,000 people live around it, including an area of Villa Clara. Their livelihood depends largely on the reservoir.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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