Allison,
Cuba has two areas that they have developed as protected marine parks. There is one, in the West called Maria La Gorda, and one in the south, called Jardines de la Reina. Both were established largely through the efforts of foreign expats, so I think there is definitely still a culture and education issue.
I will admit that I have not worked with octopuses (octopii?) much, so do not understand how much of an "intelligent" creature they are and may not appreciate them as much as someone who knows them. Personally, I don't value a creature higher based on its beauty -- rather I'd be more interested in its relative scarcity, role in the ecosystem, and intelligence. I've eaten squid, cuttlefish, and octopus plenty in prepared dishes, so it did not strike me as odd that he wanted to take it to eat at home. (He did state that octopus were rather common in the area).
I actually have been more disturbed at witnessing divemasters in some of the dive shops I've worked at doing fish feeds by squeezing fish chum out of a squeezebottle underwater or encouraging divers to manhandle sharks. That "makes tourists happy", but causes havoc in the food chain, changes the natural behavior of the fish (could argue that it leads to greater possibility of accidental attacks), and worst of all, trains the divers that the underwater world is a playground.
Fuzzy lines and multiple philosophies, aren't there?
Thanks for the comment on the juvenile Jackifes -- now I know what they are if you were referring to these?
http://flickr.com/photos/23053053@N00/143714988/in/set-72057594131304978/
