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Almadraba (from Andalusi Arabic ''almaḍraba,'' meaning 'the place to strike, also derived into pt, Almadrava) is an elaborate and ancient technique for trapping and catching 
It is a traditional form of fishing practiced mainly in southeastern Spain (
Almadraba (from Andalusi Arabic ''almaḍraba,'' meaning 'the place to strike, also derived into pt, Almadrava) is an elaborate and ancient technique for trapping and catching Atlantic bluefin tuna
The Atlantic bluefin tuna (''Thunnus thynnus'') is a species of tuna in the family Scombridae. It is variously known as the northern bluefin tuna (mainly when including Pacific bluefin as a subspecies), giant bluefin tuna or individuals excee ...
(''Thunnus thynnus'') originally used by the Phoenicia
Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their hist ...
ns and developed to its current form in southeastern Iberia
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...
during the Islamic period.
The technique, in its most simple iteration, consists in setting up net barriers so as to trap the tuna when they migrate into the Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...
from the Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
(February to July), on their way to spawn and
until recently, on their return journey, ("al revés"); the bycatch
Bycatch (or by-catch), in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juv ...
contains, among others, bullet tuna
The bullet tuna, ''Auxis rochei'', is a species of tuna, in the family Scombridae, found circumglobally in tropical oceans, including the Mediterranean Sea, in open surface waters to depths of 50 m (164 ft). The population of bullet tu ...
(''auxis rochei''), little tunny (''euthynnus alletteratus''), Atlantic bonito
The Atlantic bonito (''Sarda sarda'') is a large mackerel-like fish of the family Scombridae. It is common in shallow waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea, where it is an important commercial and game fish.
De ...
(''sarda sarda''), bigeye tuna (''thunnus obesus'') and swordfish
Swordfish (''Xiphias gladius''), also known as broadbills in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfi ...
(''xiphias gladius'').
It is a traditional form of fishing practiced mainly in southeastern Spain (Andalusia
Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The ...
, Murcia
Murcia (, , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the seventh largest city in the country. It has a population of 460,349 inhabitants in 2021 (about one ...
and southern Valencian Community
The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid with ...
), Morocco and southern Portugal (the Algarve
The Algarve (, , ; from ) is the southernmost NUTS II region of continental Portugal. It has an area of with 467,495 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities ( ''concelhos'' or ''municípios'' in Portuguese).
The region has its ...
). Almadradas have been set from the ports of Cádiz
Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia.
Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...
, Chiclana de la Frontera, Conil de la Frontera, Barbate
Barbate is a municipality of Spain part of the Province of Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is coastal town located off the Atlantic Ocean, close to the Strait of Gibraltar. Displaying a total area of 142.17 km2, it has, a ...
, Rota, Zahara de los Atunes, La Línea de la Concepción
La Línea de la Concepción (, more often referred to as La Línea) is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia.
The city lies on the sandy isthmus which is part of the eastern flank of the Bay of Gibraltar, ...
, Nueva Umbría, Isla Cristina, Ceuta and Tarifa
Tarifa (, Arabic: طريفة) is a Spanish municipality in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located at the southernmost end of the Iberian Peninsula, it is primarily known as one of the world's most popular destinations for windsports. Tarifa ...
, among other ports.
A similar technique exists in Sicily known as '' mattanza'' (a borrowing from the Spanish word ''matanza'', meaning slaughter), introduced either by the Moors
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or ...
during Sicily's own Islamic period or by the Spanish afterwards.
In film
*Roberto Rossellini
Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such ...
's ''Stromboli
Stromboli ( , ; scn, Struògnuli ) is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily, containing Mount Stromboli, one of the four active volcanoes in Italy. It is one of the eight Aeolian Islands, a volcanic arc north of Sici ...
'' includes documentary shots of the ''mattanza''.
* Rupert Murray's '' The End of the Line (2009 film)'' demonstrates almadraba when discussing declining catches.
* Portuguese short documentary film :pt::A Almadraba Atuneira, directed by Antonio Campos.
See also
*Barbate
Barbate is a municipality of Spain part of the Province of Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is coastal town located off the Atlantic Ocean, close to the Strait of Gibraltar. Displaying a total area of 142.17 km2, it has, a ...
, town known for its Almadraba fishing.
* The Dukes of Medina-Sidonia made their fortune on the monopoly of Andalusian ''almadrabas'' from the 12th to the 19th century.
* Zahara de los Atunes, an Andalusian town named after the tunas of its almadraba.
* Castle of Zahara de los Atunes and Palace of Jadraza
* Cartagena
* Tavira Island, in the Algarve, Portugal.
References
Fishing equipment Fishing in Portugal Fishing in Spain Fishing in Italy Fishing in Morocco Scombridae {{Scombroidei-stub