Almadraba

Almadraba is an old way of catching Atlantic bluefin tuna. This method uses nets to trap the tuna when they swim into the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. It usually happens between February and July.

People have used this fishing method for a long time, mainly in places like southeastern Spain, Morocco, and southern Portugal. Some ports where they set up these fishing nets include Cádiz, Chiclana de la Frontera, and Tarifa.

When the tuna get trapped, other fish like bullet tuna, little tunny, Atlantic bonito, bigeye tuna, and swordfish also get caught. This way of fishing is very important to the areas where it is practiced.

In film

Some movies and documentaries have shown the almadraba fishing method. In Roberto Rossellini’s film Stromboli, there is a scene where a character sees her husband using this fishing technique. The film _The End of the Line (2009 film) by Rupert Murray also talks about almadraba and how fish catches have been getting smaller over time. There is also a Portuguese short documentary called pt:A Almadraba Atuneira, directed by Antonio Campos, that focuses on this traditional way of fishing.