COJIMAR, Cuba (AP) 鈥 From a distance, they look like tiny white dots floating on the sea. But get closer, and you鈥檒l see people sitting on polyfoam rectangles.
They are fishermen floating on makeshift rafts that have become common on the waters off the coast of , as Cubans find innovative ways to fish in a country where it鈥檚 complicated 鈥 if not impossible 鈥 to buy a fishing boat.
As dawn breaks on calm days, hundreds of fishermen set sail in their unusual rafts, known as 鈥渃orchos鈥 (or corks), along the coasts surrounding the capital, including , a fishing village immortalized by , who was passionate about fishing.
The 鈥渃orchos,鈥 which are usually made of polyfoam sheets pressed by aluminum rods, are about 2 meters long (6 feet) by 1 1/2 meters (5 feet) wide, creating enough space for a person to climb aboard with his fishing rod, reels, pliers and hooks. Most use oars, but some fishermen have installed small engines to ease the physical effort at sea.
They may not be pretty, but they float, and the fishermen claim they don鈥檛 sink regardless of how strong the waves might be.
鈥淚t鈥檚 in our blood,鈥 said Miguel Gonz谩lez, 36, proudly holding up an albacore tuna. 鈥淲e enjoy it whether there鈥檚 fish or not.鈥
Equipped with water for their five-to-six-hour trips, these fishermen also rely on their ingenious 鈥渏igs,鈥 handmade squid imitations of resin and iridescent paper, to lure large fish avoiding live bait.
For the 鈥渃orcho鈥 fishermen, who cannot afford to buy or build a boat, these makeshift rafts mean food on the table and, if the catch is good, some fish to sell at markets or restaurants for extra income.
A small boat in Cuba cost around $30,000, according to some of them, a stark contrast to an average monthly salary of $25. And although many Cubans receive remittances from family members in the U.S., it鈥檚 still not enough.
Despite the challenges, the 鈥渃orcho鈥 men are deeply passionate about their work and have formed a close-knit community.
鈥淲e help and support one another,鈥 said Rayner S谩nchez, a 35-year-old fisherman. 鈥淲e all fish together here. If anything happens to one of us, we鈥檙e all in it together. Nobody fishes alone.鈥
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