Few cultural and fishing traditions are as ancient, spectacular and controversial as the almadraba. This fishing system, which for three millennia has been catching bluefin tuna on its annual migration through the Strait of Gibraltar, is still practiced today in four towns along the coast of Cadiz, including Zahara de los Atunes, a few kilometers from Tarifa.
What is the almadraba?
The almadraba is a system of fixed nets that are installed in the sea following the migratory route of the bluefin tuna. When the tuna enter the nets seeking to pass from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, they are led to the "death chamber", where the fishermen - the arraeces - carry out the Raisethe final capture.
A tradition of three civilizations
Phoenicians, Romans and Arabs practiced trapping on these coasts. The term itself comes from the Arabic al-madrabathe place where it hits. The Romans of Baelo Claudia built their wealth on the garum produced with the tuna of almadraba.
Almadraba tuna today
Almadraba bluefin tuna is considered one of the most exclusive gastronomic products in the world. Its meat, rich in Omega-3 fat due to the long migration, is worked "from head to tail", taking advantage of all its parts as if it were the Iberian pig of the sea. The restaurants of Tarifa and Zahara are the best place to taste it fresh, in season (May-July).
The debate around the trap
Although it is a highly selective fishery with controlled quotas, the almadraba generates debate about animal welfare. However, proponents argue that it is infinitely more sustainable than industrial fishing and that it preserves an irreplaceable cultural heritage.
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