Cuba to Begin Exporting ‘Unlimited’ Amounts of Shellfish to Russia
by Felipe Pagliery (Progreso Weekly)
HAVANA TIMES – Russia has authorized the importation of Cuban shellfish — initially shrimp and lobster — and will start receiving it “without limitation,” the Russian Ministry of Agriculture announced Monday (Aug. 10) in Moscow.
Six companies have been cleared by Rosselkhoznadzor, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Oversight: Pesquera Industrial Batabanó, Pesquera Industrial de Santa Cruz del Sur, Pesquera Industrial de Villa Clara Villamar, Pesquera Industrial La Coloma, Pesquera Industrial Tunas de Zaza, and Procesadora Industrial Río Cauto.
Deliveries can start right away, said a statement from Rosselkhoznadzor, the Ministry of Agriculture’s purchasing agency. The agency did not give details about the initial volume of imports, prices or delivery time.
Cuban shrimp will be delivered in the shell, without shell, fresh, chilled, frozen, steamed or boiled, dried, salted or in brine, the announcement said.
“Cuba has never been a major supplier of seafood to Russia, but we accept the guarantees of their veterinary services,” said Aleksei Nikolayevich Alekseyenko, spokesman for Rosselkhoznadzor.
One year ago, Russia announced that it would not buy food from countries that are pressuring it economically, financially and politically. The ban involved seafood, dairy products, meat, sausages, vegetables and fruit from the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia and Norway.
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Those pressures were in response to Russia’s support for the pro-Russian separatists in Crimea and eastern Ukraine.
Commenting on the supply of food products to Russia from abroad, Alekseyenko noted that Russia plans to expand the geography of supplies.
In late August, Iran will furnish Russia with fish and fish products. Russia has already received the first trial batch of Iranian seafood — 30 tons.
Rosselkhoznadzor may soon allow deliveries of cheese from two dairies in Ukraine. And in September it will resume negotiations with India on the supply to Russia of dairy products.
Also, talks are ongoing with Chile on the supply of fish and other seafood.
You are absolute right. Human rights are universal .However, the Americans, for example, did not apologize nor to the people of Vietnam, nor for the nuclear bombing of the Japanese cities. And yet we can remember Grenada, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia and so on. Perhaps you think that these countries human rights are not subject?
“Rosselkhoznadzor may soon allow deliveries of cheese from two dairies in Ukraine.” Is that the part where one can find Putin’s imperialist soldiers? Cuba’s government asks for support in its quest for national sovereignity, Still, the same governemnt has never apologised for its support of the Soviet Union’s violation of national sovereignty of the then Czechoslovakia in 1968. Going by recent election results the presence of uninvited Soviet soldiers has not been appreciated in the invaded country. Human rights are universal not depending on who he is in power.
Is this a joke?
I was half joking with you. It’s like the garbage men who ride on the back of the truck who refer to themselves as “refuse specialists”.
Interesting, I am not aware of a fishing fleet in Cuba that could produce a meaningful level of international trade worthwhile. Cuba is a net importer of food, they could use more domestic production. Tourist also need a vibrant restaurant experience. How will millions of new visitors be feed ?
I have never seen any form of commercial cat or dog food in Cuba. The shops are operated by subsidiaries of the military and are unable to regularly offer different foods for human consumption and nothing for pets.
Domestic animals there have with few exceptions a miserable life. But how does one criticize parents who have to scrape together sufficient to feed their children, for only providing the odd scrap to the dogs and cats?
How does the US have such a high rate of obesity if as you suggest they eat cat and dog food?
Cubans would love to experience the average American diet.
As we both know, private vendors are almost invariably selling products either pilfered from the regime or obtained illicitly. The price for 10 lobsters was 8CUC.
But while on the subject of illicit activities, let me add that when we were staying in a casa particular, I happened to mention the falling exchange rate for the Canadian dollar. My host promptly offered to obtain a higher rate for all the dollars I could muster. He did his on behalf of a friend seeking hard currency.
Many Cubans seek to eek out the miserable pittance they receive from the State by pilferage – perhaps I was just recognising their endeavors by writing “private vendors”.
Private vendors? What does that mean? Since there are no legal fishmongers, that is to say that seafood sales is not a government-licensed self-employment category, the lobster you are able to purchase is black market. I have also only purchased lobster from black market vendors. In Havana it is frozen lobster and priced well beyond the food budgets of average Cubans.
What does your comment have to do with what Moses said, or indeed what this article is about?
Shellfish and fish in the Cuban diet is rare. You certainly don’t see much if any in the local stores. I know friends who will go snorkeling off shore and grab some. Other than that I don’t see any, except perhaps in some restaurants where the average Cuban can’t afford to go anyways.
If you want to bitch about the US please do it someplace else, or at least make it relevant to the topic
Please don’t exaggerate what is a sad reality for a tiny, tiny group of poor folks. The irony of your comment is that even cat and dog food is scarce in Cuba. Most pets eat con gris. Cubans who can find and afford to feed their pets specialty foods are rare.
maybe we need to have them experience the American diet , specially experience what certain American eat ,how about we make a collection of cat and dog food send it over and have a bunch of volunteers eat for a month and see what they have to say about what certain segment of the American eats .
It is illegal for visitors to Cuba to export lobster.
When at home in Cuba we are sometimes able to purchase frozen lobsters from private vendors.
Folks who really know Cuba should shake their heads reading this post. Lobster and shellfish are virtually non-existent in the Cuban diet. It’s ironic that Cuba can make a deal to sell an unlimited amount of seafood to Russia and yet the same foods are scarce (very scarce) in Cuban stores
I don’t see I don’t see this as sustainable for Cuba