Date Published: 20/04/2021
ARCHIVED - Tuna and swordfish season under way along the Mediterranean coast of Murcia
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
A ban on longline swordfish and tuna fishing was in place until the end of March
Image: Almadraba of La Azohía
As the spring gets under way in southern Spain the migratory patterns of Mediterranean fish species mean that the tuna and swordfish season is now beginning, as was illustrated by an incident at the weekend in which various swordfish were accidentally caught by “almadraba” fishermen in La Azohía, in the bay of Mazarrón.
The video below shows the rescue of two dolphins, during which members of ANSE worked with the fishermen and cut the nets to free the trapped dolphins; as the video shows, several large swordfish also made a break for freedom and escaped from the nets.
These species generally reappear in the area as the water begins to warm up over the winter and are most common between June and October. A ban on longline swordfish and tuna fishing was introduced in Murcia during the first three months of this year, and another will be in place in October and November.
Almadraba nets are laid between February and June on the Cartagena coast, a system first used by the Phoenicians 3,000 years ago, then exploited by the Romans who built factories to process fish caught off this coastline and make pungent garum fish sauces which they exported to feed discerning Romans throughout their mighty Empire ( a good example of which can be seen in nearby Puerto de Mazarrón where there is a well-preserved Roman salt fish factory), a system continued by the Moors who occupied the region until the 13th century and then maintained by local fishermen, Almadraba nets still a part of the scenery along this coastline during the late winter and early spring months.
This system of netting is listed as being “pesca artesanal”, as it is a low impact, environmentally friendly method of fishing, which targets selected species of fish and respects the environment. Fishing is small-scale, with small boats travelling shorter distances to fish, capable of catching only limited quantities of targeted species, and maintaining the marine environment by not over-exploiting stocks, and using methods which damage the marine environment, in this case a network of nets directing the fish to swim through a maze of channels into a confined netted area from which they can be easily extracted.
Fish which do not meet size criteria are returned to the sea immediately, thus helping to maintain stocks for the future.
The nets can clearly be seen off the coastline of La Azohía; walk up to the Torre de Santa Elena (the mediaeval watch tower) on the headland and the snail shape is visible in the waters below.
Until the end of June the Melva (a smaller member of the tuna family, often called Frigate tuna) is migrating from the Straits of Gibraltar along the Spanish coast and passes along the Murcian coastline, so appears in fish shops around this time, a perfect fish for a Mediterranean casserole and is also popular with the voracious bluefin tuna which chases it into the nets!.
They generally travel in large shoals and migrate annually from the Atlantic to different areas of the Mediterranean during the summer months in order to reproduce.