72-kilo swordfish caught off the coast of Granada

It has been three years since the port of Motril lost its surface longline boats, a type of fishing gear made up of a line of hooks articulated by a main arm to which secondary lines are attached with a baited hook at the end for catching various species of fish such as tuna, for example.

Despite the disappearance of this type of fishing, the coast of Granada continues to be important for the capture of the large swordfish that fill the waters at this time of year.

On Wednesday, a boat from Almeria caught a swordfish weighing 72 kilogrammes, which took several men to carry from the Motril quayside, as can be seen in the images released by the Motril fish market.

Ignacio López, president of the Motril fishermen's guild, said that these specimens are usually found off the Granada coastline until mid-December, which is why it is common for boats from nearby ports to come to Motril to fish.

The swordfish are found at a distance from the coast and the boats go as far as the 'Seco de Motril', an underwater elevation some 30 miles from the coast, a fishing ground where the specimens are usually located.

Swordfish are large, migratory predatory fish, characterised by their long, flattened bills. According to the fisherman, Granada waters attract these fish because of the presence of European flying squid.

Currently, two boats from Almeria, one from the port of Roquetas de Mar and the other from Carboneras, use the port of Motril to unload their catch. The president of the Motril fishermen said that they usually already have buyers for the catch, but on some occasions they leave a few hundred kilogrammes on the harbour's auction belt for sale in nearby markets.

In the case of Granada, the Motril fleet dispensed with this type of fishing due to its low profitability. Vessels had to travel to other areas such as Mallorca to catch the fish all year round, and stiff competition from the Moroccan fleet slowed their activity.