The First Oyster Festival in Cuba already has a date and, as recently announced, it will take place from April 20 to 22 in the city of Puerto Padre, in attention to the traditions of the inhabitants of that coastal area of the province of Las Tunas.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- Doctor of Science Gustavo Arencibia Carballo, coordinator of the Ecovalor Project at the Fisheries Research Center, and Abel Betanzos Vega, a specialist in Marine Biology and Aquaculture at the entity, reported that the objectives of the event are to promote the consumption of this natural resource and motivate its conservation.
The experts added that during the meeting there will be lectures on various topics related to oyster farming, dishes made with this food will be marketed, and recipes that go beyond the cocktail that is usually consumed in the territory will be shared.
The participants -nationals and foreigners- will be able to present to the public various methods of elaboration of oysters, a nutritious mollusk that is very favorable to humans due to its high content of proteins, minerals, vitamins, and Omega-3 fatty acids.
Arencibia Carballo and Betanzos Vega clarified that it is also intended to increase the knowledge of residents in areas near the coast so that they contribute to the preservation of the habitat of this species, especially, the mangroves.
They stated that the idea is to help protect the marine ecosystem through rational capture practices, and the individual and collective will to expand oyster farming as an environmentally friendly socioeconomic alternative.
As part of the Festival, children's drawing and poster contests are organized, as well as the possible presence of a book that compiles numerous recipes for preparing this food, with which soups, kinds of pasta, rice, cocktails, and other dishes can be prepared.
In Las Tunas, there are farms dedicated to the cultivation of oysters in the municipalities of Manatí and Puerto Padre, which cover six and nine hectares, respectively; although, the development strategy of the Las Tunas Fishing Company (Pescatun) contemplates the growth of these extensions.
