The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-05-13
POACHERS
ON FLORIDA
COAST.
United States Being Robbed and
City Of Havana Suffering
Thereby.

The following sensational story OF
Cuban poaehing of fish among the
Florida keys, appears in the Havana
Post of April 80, and if true should
bring a hasty response and prevents
tive from the United States authorl-
ties:
THE United States is being robbed
OF its fish by pOachers who thereon
feed the City of Havana to the detri-
ment Of this city. The Cuban govern
ment is being robbed of direct loss
in revenue and the death knell OF
Cuban fisheries has been rung unless
it can be stopped"
This is the emphatic statement
made by Manuel Lena, one of the
most intelligent of Cuban fishermen
who lives at Pecante del MORO.
According to Lena there are 5000
pounds Of fish at a minimum and Is.
OVO pounds at a maximum consumed
IL Havana daily OF this amount ful-
ly 80 per cent are poached from the
shallow water Of the Florida shoals
with some additional poaching frOIa
the sound of Yucatan.
The proof of the poaching is in tho
tlsh themselves. There are two class
eE OF fish used in this market and
widely known as the cherno Ameri-
cano and the cherno creola. The lat
ter is the choicest fish of the two.
The cherno is not a deep water fish.
as is shown by fact that he lives for
several days after being taken. He is
caught in from nine to twelve fathoms
and is haibitual of the bottoms. The
cherno Americana does not exist her.
and yet they are said to be the most
commonly seen fish in the local mar
kets.'
Ships of the Night.
There sails out from this port. ac-
cording to Lena, fleet of ships, about
thirty in number. The fleet is com
POSED of everything from the bark to-
the small boat. In a few hours run
with fair wind they are off the Flor
Ida keys. There they hide along the
inadequate patrolled coast, seeking
refuge in the channels of the KEYS and
along the shoai waters.
In two days the larger ones often
take as much as 1900 pounds CT fish
because they do not hesitate to usei
everything from the deadly trap to the
creeping trawT. Then comes the easyl
evasion of the United States patrols.
the quick run to Havana and the dis
posal OF the in-gotten cargo The
boats are mostly vivores, those which
are supplied with floating crates tol
keep the cargo alive for the market.
Appeal to Government.
An appeal, says Lena was made to |
the Cuban government. 1t was in the
form OF petition that was signed byI
the majority of the Cuban fishermen.
little army of 300 men. A DELAY fol-
lowed In answering and when it came
there was a polite letter from the of /
Hclal in charge to the effect that there
was no redress at this end inasmuch as
the Cuban patrol is of necessity small |
and the fishermen who poach are all
aware that if they are taken by the
United States they will be tined and
COnfiscated.
The poachers claim that they take
fish outside the threemile limit and
that they are therefore taken On the
nigh seas, to which they are entitled.
The contention of The local fisher
men, which they assert they can
prove, is that the fish that are landed
on this market are not a "high sea
fish"
1T is probable that such a demand
viii be made that the United States
Will take the matter up, and that the
Cuban government will discover some
means of protecting her fleet"