Lifestyle

From fishing nets in Barbate to the markets of Malaga

SUR joins the ‘almadraba’ tuna catch in the waters of Cadiz province, marking the start of the bluefin tuna season. The Costa del Sol is one of the main destinations of this quality produce, which is prized worldwide

Some of the tuna captured during the almadraba that took place last week in Barbate. (Salvador Salas)

Salvador Salas

08/05/2026 a las 14:12h.

It is 7am in Barbate on the Costa de la Luz in Cadiz province. As the sun rises, a tradition with over 3,000 years of history begins. This is the ‘almadraba’, a word of Arabic origin that means “a place where one strikes or fights”. It is a complex, labyrinthine web of fixed fishing nets in the water designed so that tuna fish can swim into the structure but are then unable to leave.

The almadraba can reach up to three kilometres in length and is secured to the seabed by between 400 and 500 anchors, each weighing half a tonne and connected by around 30 kilometres of steel cable .

Imagen principal - Top, the divers prepare to gauge the fish before directing them to the ‘copo’ net; Below, one of the vessels that forms part of the almadraba fleet and a crew member from the freezer ship used to transport the tuna for sale — Top, the divers prepare to gauge the fish before directing them to the ‘copo’ net; Below, one of the vessels that forms part of the almadraba fleet and a crew member from the freezer ship used to transport the tuna for sale. (Salvador Salas)

In the area known as ‘el copo’ (where the nets are placed), the ‘levantás’ (catches) take place between April and June, taking advantage of the bluefin tuna’s migration towards the Mediterranean.

The age-old process that the Phoenicians and Romans took part in is still successfully practised today, having been well adapted to the 21st century.

Nowadays, it has changed to a more sustainable model. Long gone are the days of harpoons and unnecessary suffering; today, a precision tool known as a ‘lupara’ is used, which fires on contact and causes the tuna to die at once. This not only guarantees animal welfare, but also ensures the highest quality of meat by sparing the fish any suffering or stress.

The ‘levantá’ is a spectacle of strength and tradition that takes place in the port of Barbate each year. This is just a small part of the tuna’s journey, before it makes its way to various destinations with some going to Malaga’s markets, while others travel much farther afield to countries such as Japan.

Acknowledgements: Almadraba de Barbate, Ricardo Fuentes e Hijos and Román y Martos Alimentación.