The Cuban lobster has decided to take a long vacation. According to a recent report from Islavisión, the concerning disappearance of the crustacean is attributed to climate change. Because, of course, in Cuba, problems always have global and external causes.
Less than a year ago, Miguel Díaz-Canel met with workers from the fishing industry on the Isle of Youth. At that time, the shortage of lobsters was already concerning the workers.
Concerned about the alarming absence of the delicacy, the knowledgeable ruler ordered studies on the phenomenon. After thorough analyses, experts concluded that climate change is the primary culprit.
The numbers speak for themselves, according to the official report. In 2019, fishermen were obtaining an average of 19 kilograms of lobster per fishing gear. By 2024, that figure has dropped to 5.8 kilograms.
In this regard, it is emphasized that the water temperature has risen from 27 to 30 degrees over the past 40 years, and salinity has increased from 35-36 to 39-40 units.
Capturing enough specimens for study has become an odyssey. Previously, three fishing trips would yield 200 lobsters for sampling. Now, it takes up to 70 fishermen to obtain the same amount.
Scientists, perplexed, are considering solutions such as raising locusts, an expensive yet profitable alternative, as stated in the report from the official media.
However, while the lobsters appear to be disappearing from Cuban waters, state fishing companies celebrate their achievements in exports.
The Industrial Fishing Company of Santa Cruz del Sur (Episur), in Camagüey, announced at the end of 2024 the achievement of its lobster catch plan for the third consecutive year, noting that "this is the only species we managed to fulfill this year." All of this occurs while the Cuban population barely sees seafood on their tables.
In 2020, the then Minister of Food Industry, Manuel Sobrino Martínez, justified the absence of lobster in the local market by stating that revenue from exports of products such as lobster and shrimp is essential for acquiring basic food supplies for the population.
In a controversial statement, he remarked: "If we indulge in eating lobster and shrimp, there will be a lack of milk for the children".
In the end, the lobsters, in an act of evolutionary wisdom, seem to have understood what many Cubans have been realizing for years: sometimes, the only option is to leave the island.
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