THE ALMADRABA tuna fishing marketing campaign formally obtained underway on Monday, with the primary Atlantic bluefin tuna being hoisted onto the decks of the fishing trawlers off the coast of Barbate in Cádiz province.
Fishermen working for Petaca Chico, the corporate that operates the biggest of the 4 remaining almadrabas in Cádiz, efficiently hauled in round 80 Atlantic bluefin tuna throughout the opening catch.
Utilizing an historical and sustainable approach that dates again over 3,000 years, they lured the highly effective fish into a posh maze of nets, earlier than divers armed with spearguns entered the water to ship a swift, humane shot to every specimen.
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A number of the tuna caught throughout this primary haul weighed over 400 kilograms. As soon as secured, the fish have been quickly transported to shore to be processed and offered contemporary.
However the tuna season additionally brings a reasonably unwelcome visitor again to the Strait of Gibraltar: orcas.
These clever marine predators are recognized to comply with the migratory path of the Atlantic bluefin tuna and ‘assault’ small boats.
Simply final week, one other orca encounter occurred off the coast of Tarifa, the place an Italian crusing vessel was ‘attacked’ by a pod of orcas.
The orcas ‘play’ with small boats, aiming for the rudders with their heads of their aquatic soccer sport, and in lots of instances inflicting harm to the boats.
The skipper of the crusing vessel needed to contact emergency companies as a result of his rudder was destroyed by the orcas’ sport.
These incidents have gotten more and more frequent, notably across the Strait, the place encounters between boats and orcas have risen sharply since 2020.
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Whereas no fatalities have occurred, the harm to vessels will be important, and the worry amongst sailors is rising.
Some native captains are actually threatening to take issues into their very own arms, with one even suggesting killing an orca to ‘train them a lesson’ if authorities fail to intervene.
The orcas harm the native economic system, as a result of many sailors are hesitant to get on the water once more with their vessels, afraid that they are going to fall sufferer to the orcas’ damaging sport.
With summer time approaching, considerations are mounting over a attainable surge in orca encounters, which may have destructive results for tourism and the broader maritime trade within the area.
Whether or not native or nationwide authorities will implement measures to deal with the scenario stays to be seen.
