Fishing with Lights On dark nights, the light boat uses its lights to concentrate fish
beneath it since anchovies and sardines are positively phototropic (i.e., attracted by
light). Subsequently, the fish are captured following the previous method using echo
sounder and loaded onto the vessel.
“Arda” Fishing On moonless nights, this method is used to catch negatively
phototropic species. The purse seine skippers locate the schools using the “arda,”
which is phosphorescence produced by some plankton organisms when fish shoals
pass by. The target species of this fishing method are small tuna species, such as
A. rochei and S. sarda.
These boats set out around sunset and return at sunrise. Atypical fishing day
comprises two fishing operations: the first in the late afternoon (“prima” in Spanish)
and the second at sunrise (“alba” in Spanish).
Fishing Area
Currently, sardines are caught throughout the Alboran Sea, whereas anchovies are
caught mainly in Malaga Bay (Fig. 16.5). In the years of abundant catches, all the
fleets from all the SMR ports were concentrated in the bay. For this reason, the boats
used to land in the Port of Malaga, taking advantage of the high price of anchovies in
this city (Abad and Giráldez 1990a, 1997; Giráldez and Abad 1991; Giraldez et al.
1997). At present, the port of Caleta de Vélez is more important than the Port of
Malaga.
Fig. 16.3 Purse seine boat, light boat, and auxiliary boat. Albuñol beach (Granada, Spain) 1989
564
A. Giráldez
beneath it since anchovies and sardines are positively phototropic (i.e., attracted by
light). Subsequently, the fish are captured following the previous method using echo
sounder and loaded onto the vessel.
“Arda” Fishing On moonless nights, this method is used to catch negatively
phototropic species. The purse seine skippers locate the schools using the “arda,”
which is phosphorescence produced by some plankton organisms when fish shoals
pass by. The target species of this fishing method are small tuna species, such as
A. rochei and S. sarda.
These boats set out around sunset and return at sunrise. Atypical fishing day
comprises two fishing operations: the first in the late afternoon (“prima” in Spanish)
and the second at sunrise (“alba” in Spanish).
Fishing Area
Currently, sardines are caught throughout the Alboran Sea, whereas anchovies are
caught mainly in Malaga Bay (Fig. 16.5). In the years of abundant catches, all the
fleets from all the SMR ports were concentrated in the bay. For this reason, the boats
used to land in the Port of Malaga, taking advantage of the high price of anchovies in
this city (Abad and Giráldez 1990a, 1997; Giráldez and Abad 1991; Giraldez et al.
1997). At present, the port of Caleta de Vélez is more important than the Port of
Malaga.
Fig. 16.3 Purse seine boat, light boat, and auxiliary boat. Albuñol beach (Granada, Spain) 1989
564
A. Giráldez