Alert about the increase in the illegal sale of sea turtle meat in Cuba: "It is irresponsible and cruel."

People have expressed concern about the alarming increase in the illegal sale of sea turtle meat, specifically loggerheads (Caretta caretta), through social media in Cuba.

Xenia Rivery alerted on Facebook last Friday that this practice is not only illegal but also considered highly irresponsible and cruel as it puts a already vulnerable species at risk.

"Don't buy turtle meat," Rivery warned, implying that the demand for this product is what fuels the existence of an illegal market, thereby promoting the commercialization and poaching of this vulnerable species.

"Its meat is sold illegally in Cuba, reaching the tables of some Cubans through poachers," he emphasized.

In the comments section, both the post's author and the internet user Juan Carlos Sáenz de Calahorra agreed that in Gibara, in the province of Holguín, they were offered hawksbill turtle steak in restaurants in the past, although it was not specified whether they were state or private.

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) classifies Caretta caretta as a species Endangered, indicating a high risk level in the near future.

Despite this classification, poachers continue to capture and market their meat clandestinely.

An example of this is that authorities seized 60 kilograms of clean turtle meat from a Cuban who was engaging in underwater fishing in the Bufeadero area, near the CEN (National Nuclear Power Plant) in the province of Cienfuegos.

Along with the caguama, the hawksbill and the green turtle are three species of sea turtles that are critically endangered and are constantly threatened by their demand in the black market.

To protect them and to raise awareness among the population about the need to preserve their nesting areas, some actions have been taken in the past in Cuba to conserve these species.

One of the most recent efforts is the monitoring and protection of the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) led by specialists from the company Flora y Fauna in the Jardines de la Reina National Park, on the southern coast of this central province of Cuba.

However, when scarcity intensifies, it is very difficult to prevent fishing practices that endanger ecosystems.

The food crisis in Guantánamo, exacerbated by the poor management of the Cuban regime, has forced residents to seek alternative means of subsistence, endangering the blue crab in the municipality of Imías due to the overexploitation of this local natural resource.

The Food Monitor Program (FMP) initiative noted that the overfishing of blue crab in Imías is inseparable from the broader context of the food crisis in Cuba, which affects the entire population.

In 2020, the Cuban government dedicated the last ordinary edition of the Official Gazette to disseminate all legal norms related to fishing activities in the country, and among the most important aspects are the authorizations and requirements to carry out such practice, as well as its prohibitions and restrictions.

The Fisheries Law, which was approved in July 2019, establishes that only legal entities or individuals, Cuban or foreign, over 17 years of age, with licenses for this purpose, may carry out this activity. These licenses will be issued for a period of one calendar year (from January to December) and may be suspended at any time for violations of the law.

The Gaceta also announced the Regulation of the Law, which was signed on December 24, 2019, and which dedicates a chapter to enumerating actions considered violations of the legislation.

According to the document, these limitations include everything from fishing without authorization to causing damage to coral reefs with some naval device, as well as the capture of endangered species or during the closed season.