While most boats remain docked due to lack of fuel, fishermen from Surgidero de Batabanó, in Mayabeque, continue to seek sustenance on makeshift rafts, tractor tires, and styrofoam structures, in an image that encapsulates the decline of an activity that has historically been vital for this Cuban community.
The landscape was captured this Sunday by the magazine Juventud Técnica in the photo report Living off the Sea, which documents how the fuel crisis and the decline of the fishing industry have transformed the way people make a living in the area.
"Throughout the year 2026, the majority of the vessels in Surgidero have been unable to go fishing due to a shortage of fuel resulting from the national crisis," the publication directly acknowledges.
The report describes a Fishing Company that “barely survives,” while many residents continue to enter the sea on their own because fishing remains the main economic activity and a tradition deeply rooted in the community.
Among them are Nico, Alexander, and Brayan, who go out approximately every two days on their rafts, although they adjust their outings according to the phases of the moon.
Before dawn, they catch sardines to use as bait, they protect themselves from the intense sun, carry water, and do not forget the frog legs, essential for propelling themselves in the sea.
Then they venture a couple of kilometers from the shore, cast their hooks, and remain for hours on their precarious boats before returning to land, using their legs to paddle forward.
The catches are unpredictable. Alexander shared that during the best times, he can return with between 20 and 30 pounds of fish in a morning, but there are also days when he comes back empty-handed or with just five or six small fish.
In addition to the fuel shortage, the photo report indicates that years of overexploitation, deterioration of marine resources, and ecosystem changes associated with climate change are also contributing factors.
In Surgidero, where fishing has been part of the local identity long before seafood canning began there in 1950, the situation has drastically deteriorated in 2026.
The rafts used by these fishermen are not a new phenomenon. For years, Cubans from coastal communities have turned to vehicle tires, reels, and blocks of foam to catch fish for family consumption, sale, or simply for recreational purposes.
In March 2025, a report by Associated Press was already documenting the proliferation of the so-called "corchos," artisanal rafts made from foam panels that became increasingly common as the Cuban fishing fleet deteriorated.
The contrast with previous decades is striking. Between the 1970s and 1990s, Cuban catches exceeded 100,000 tons annually with about 700 vessels, according to official figures cited at the time by AP.
By 2021, production had fallen to around 20,000 tons.
Consumption also plummeted. According to official data cited in that report, Cuba went from about 16 kilograms of fish per year per person to only 3.8 kilograms.
On the other hand, the situation in Surgidero is not isolated. In July, the lack of diesel had reduced the catches of the fishing company in Sancti Spíritus by approximately half, which used to obtain about eight tons monthly compared to the usual 15 to 18 for that time of year.
That same month, the shrimp fleet of Trinidad was operating with only four of its six boats due to a shortage of fuel, while barely five of the 14 fishing brigades in the province were active.
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