Benidorm and the tuna fishing
Almadraba is a traditional fishing technique that stands out for its authenticity, and above all, for its antiquity, as it has been used for 3,000 years.
The Greeks and other people settled on the western Mediterranean coast, such as the Celts and the Iberians already fished some migratory species such as tuna, mackerel, bonito and melvas and prepared canned food in factories where they made salted fish and sauces.
Although the Phoenicians introduced this fishery to the Iberian coast, the
Romans expanded this fishing technique and made it an important industry, as attested by the archaeological remains found throughout the Levantine coast.
Later, the Arabs were great promoters of this art, improving their technique on both sides of the Mediterranean.
Historically, the province of Alicante had a lot of weight in this fishing industry. Along the entire coast, numerous tuna fisheries were set: Benidorm,
Dénia, Calpe, Moraira, Xàbia, La Vila Joiosa, Alicante and Tabarca. Nowadays, all these tuna fisheries no longer exist and belong to the past.
The tuna fishing closed its activity in 1955. The decrease in catches, the increase in the cost of labour and the necessary materials caused this industry to agonise
until it disappeared.
This was not the case for the tuna fishing captains from Benidorm and their sailors,
who enjoyed great fame as professionals in this fishing art. They were hired to manage the most important fishing grounds on the Spanish coast and in the North
Africa.
This fishing method consists of placing a structure drawn by boats, buoys,
nets and anchors, and hundreds of metres of cables, strategically placed in the sea,
to catch the bluefin tuna during its migration towards the Mediterranean Sea. Once
the experts select the adult tuna that have fallen into the nets and release the
rest of the fish and the tuna that do not exceed the required weight into the sea, then they raise the nets with the tuna. Afterwards, the “ronqueo” technique is carried out; cutting up the tuna with a knife manually.
Although this technique may seem violent, the truth is that it has been praised
as one of the most sustainable forms of fishing. In fact, according to a study published
in 2015 by the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament “no fishing gear
in the history of humanity, has proven to be as solid, efficient, selective and yet
as sustainable and respectful of the Environment” as the tuna fishing.
The season begins in May and ends in July. During this time, bluefin tuna descend to spawn from the coldest waters of the Atlantic to the warmest waters of the Mediterranean, passing through the Strait of Gibraltar. Although the season begins in May, in February, tuna fishers artisanally assemble the net structure and anchors.
The most representative figure in the tuna fishing and of the highest rank is the Captain, the 'arraez', followed by the 'sotarráez', the second in command and then the third. Next was the carter, whose function was similar to that of a manager, and his responsibility consisted of counting the catches by putting a knot for every ten pieces of tuna he brought onto the boat.
The tasks were perfectly defined and assigned: the 'torrero' was the sentinel who sighted the schools of tuna and gave the warning; the 'caloneros' were placed on the hawser of the net, guarding the holes so that the catch did not escape; the rowers and the 'armadores' who were in charge of making sure that sailors pulled the ropes equally and of mending and repairing the nets. There were the carters, who drove the ox carts located on the beach; The 'aventureros' dragged the tuna from the shore to the carts; they were in charge of pulling the ropes of the nets to take the catch to land; the 'cuchillas' cut up the tuna and placed them in the 'chanca', (a storage facility for salting) and finally the 'mozos de pila' who cleaned the vats where the tuna was salted.
Types of tuna traps:
ALMADRABA DE VISTA OR TIRO.- This was the primitive one, it was set in a specific place, the cove and outcrop. At the highest point of the coast there was a man, who was the lookout and who constantly observed the passage of the tuna and when he saw a school of tuna approaching very close to the coast, he gave the alarm, using a horn or conch, so that the three or four rowing boats would set in motion.
These, equipped with their staff and under the command of the captain, extended some nets from the coast until they found the tuna; an intelligent and brave operation. Once the tunas were enclosed in these nets, they were thrown from land, until they reached the shore. Once there, with some gaff hooks and other elements, they finished them off. The work was very rudimentary and dangerous, because they had to face bad weather and the waves of the coast.
ALMADRABA DE MONTE Y LEVA.- These almadrabas were set later, with a different system of rigging. They made a frame and an arm called Rabera de tierra, which they secured with several small anchors and grapnels and some other large stones. The nets that they set remained fixed in the sea, except for the codend, which every day they took to land. In the frame, they had a boat with a man watching, and when he saw fish coming into the frame, he would make a signal with a white flag warning those on land. Immediately four or five boats would go out with their personnel, about twelve or fourteen men, and under the command of the captain, they would set the codend and do the lifting. They were located very close to the coast. The nets, anchors and ropes were provided by the men who worked the tuna fishing ground (almadraba). The distribution of the catch was done according to the material provided by each one.
ALMADRABAS DE BUCHE.- The rigging system was and is of great scale and the preparation is very complicated. The captain who commands it has to have extensive experience and be specialized in this kind of gear. Work starts at the beginning of March with 120 men who prepare the nets and leave them ready to be set in the second half of April. This kind of gear was set until the end of June, and therefore designed for tuna coming from the Atlantic. The tuna fishing ground in Barbate and that of Isla Cristina, extended the fishing more, because they set backhand or back from the Mediterranean, when the tuna returned once they
left the breeding. Both tuna fishing grounds finished the season in the first fortnight of September. Apart from the 120 men, they had five sail and motor boats -with five men each boat-, a small steamer and seven ships. The material used was steel wire of different sizes.