in light of agricultural practices on the island. Cuba’s
farming is largely organic — not by policy or intention,
but because the pesticides and fertilizers used throughout
the industrialized world are prohibitively expensive or
simply unavailable to Cuban farmers — and this minimizes
agricultural runoff that could harm the reefs.
Walking the Walk
However, these uniquely healthy seas also owe much to an
intentional commitment to the environment made in the
1990s. “Cuba began walking the walk,” said Dan Whittle,
Cuba program director for the Environmental Defense
Fund. “They established policies that recognized the marine
environment’s economic importance and the tourism value
of nature, and they began developing the coast cautiously. “
Of course, any country’s laws and policies are only as good
as continuing political will to uphold them, and Whittle notes
ongoing conflict between Cubans who see environmental
protection as a luxury in a country struggling to feed its people
and those who say it’s a worthwhile long-term investment. So far,
Cuba’s current leadership seems committed to sustainability,
but looming economic changes place it between Scylla and
Charybdis: On one hand, economic development threatens the
health of Cuba’s marine environment, but on the other, economic
growth will allow Cuba to invest in better infrastructure,
research and resources to protect the natural environment.
“Economic growth can be the savior of environmental programs
as well as a threat to them,” Whittle said.
The threats include increased impact from more tourists.
An end to the U.S. embargo — conceivably on the horizon —
will mean an immediate 10-percent increase in visitors, at a
minimum. “There will be tremendous temptation to cut corners,”
Whittle said, noting that in other countries, environmental
protection has taken a backseat when money starts rolling in.
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Opposite and above left: The Gardens of the Queen (Jardines de la Reina) is the gem of
Cuba’s underwater reef system, with healthy corals and ample marine life.
Top right: The agricultural methods in Cuba remain primitive and largely organic.
Less chemical fertilization means less damaging runoff to degrade the coral reef.
Bottom right: Dive visitation to these pristine reefs is relatively modest, but that could
change with relaxed travel restrictions to Cuba.
