You come to your fav lake, and there is a total fishing ban

[scuro2]

Imagine that you go to your favorite lake and you find out that no fishing is allowed unless you fish with a fishing company that has monopoly rights to the whole lake. Avalon fishing clubs charge? $500 US a day for guided fishing. A $100 dollar tip is expected too which doesn't go to the guide but rather the company. This is what I encountered last spring in Cuba on the Island of Cayo Largo. Every inch of a 15 mile island had been declared a wild life refuge. The island is a tourist destination and has 4 or 5 resorts on it. Now no one can fish any of it, that is except for the Avalon Fishing Club. Their motor boats apparently don't use gas and their customers are apparently invisible.

This island was fished mostly by Canadians and Brits who have built up a community through the internet, often sharing tactics and locations for DIY fishing. How do you get things changed in Cuba? That is a hard one in a communist country. We are perplexed. No official wants to rock the boat...often they don't respond. You can follow our approach here.

http://www.cubamania.com/cuba/showthread.php?t=23791

 

and background here

http://www.cubamania.com/cuba/showthread.php?t=23916

Edited January 31, 2009 by scuro2

[Greencoachdog]

Go fishing in the ocean... the fish are bigger and you can fish from shore for free!!!

[scuro2]

Ooops forgot to mention that all the waters around the island have also been declared a wildlife sanctuary. This island is a flats fishing destination.

[Greencoachdog]

If it was me, I wouldn't go to that island anymore just because of the rip-off!!!

 

There are too many other places to go that want your business and are willing to treat you a little more fairly!

 

There is an upside to the inflated fee though, it'll keep the common riff-raff off the waters and fishin' pressure will be lighter... if you can afford it and don't mind paying.

[bigugli]

Tell the Cubans you won't be spending your money there any more, and that you are recommending others do likwise. Nothing else you can do.

 

OF course that would be a little hypocritical. We have more than a few "charter only" lakes in the North. Why can't the Cubans?

Edited February 1, 2009 by bigugli

[Jer]

...doesn't sound very Marxist...