Costa de la Luz is often associated with the rich tuna fish dishes from the area. For centuries the tuna fish caught along the coast has provided the towns with a major source of income, but unique to other parts of the world is the way in which the tuna fish is caught, The Almadraba way. A special technique used since the time of the Romans.
Every year from March until August, tuna that can reach up to 3 meters in length and 700 kilos in weight pass near the shore through the Straits of Gibralter to spawning grounds in the Mediterranean.
The Almadraba Method
Tuna in this area are caught by the traditional method known as Almadraba. This method has remained largely unchanged for thousands of years. Although the origin of the word is Arabic, meaning site of a battle, the method was used much earlier, as the Romans used the same techniques for fishing tuna in these same areas. The second century Roman ruins of Baélo Caludio in Bolonia are a good example of a centre developed to exploit the extensive fishing and production of Garum – a flavoring derived from the fermented fish guts. Garum brought great wealth to the town.
The Almadraba consists of a complex labyrinth of nets more than 30 meters deep located 3km from the coast and are designed to guide the tuna into a trap from which they cannot escape. The central part of the trap is known as “el copo” and is a huge net that fisherman hoist up when they have a catch. The last action of hoisting the tuna out of the sea is known as “the raising” and the image is seen in many photographs around the towns in the area, as typical of this traditional way of tuna fishing.
Tiles in Conil showing the Almadraba method.
The only Almadraba that remain in Spain are those of Barbate, Conil, Zahara de los Atunes and Tarifa where each spring preparations are made for the arrival of the tuna. The entire process, from fishing to canning is also carried out in these localities, especially in Barbate. Fishing provides the livelihood of many villages on the coast of the Gibraltar Straits. The quantity of tuna fished over the years has declined from the record catch in 1949 of 43,500 fish caught. The main cause for the diminishing number of tuna is the over-fishing by the efficient high-tech fishing vessels operating in the area. The fishing of tuna before egg fertilization has been completed has also greatly impeded the regeneration of this species.
Local canned tuna.
In the Mediterranean today the majority of the tuna are captured in enclosed nets and taken to fish farms where they are fattened up and then sold on to supply the Asian market, principally Japan. Despite the existing fish quotas, reserves of the blue fin tuna, a fish prized by sushi lovers, have fallen by up to 90% in the Mediterranean and the Western Atlantic since 1970.
Local dish Atun Encebollado. Tuna with cooked with onions.
