Mattanza

There are mattanza traditions linked to Trapani in Sicily, the Egadi island of Favignana, and Carloforte and the Isola di San Pietro in southwestern Sardinia, as well as locations in Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and Tunisia.

The practice of mattanza is an elaborate and age-old fishing technique for trapping and catching Atlantic bluefin tuna that can be traced back to the Phoenicians.

From May onwards, fishermen drive schools of fish in straits into a system of nets (known in Italian as tonnara[4]), that form various chambers.

There are other locations in Andalusia, Murcia and Valencia in Spain, Algarve in Portugal, Sidi Daoud in Tunisia and in Morocco.

The Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies still authorizes six fixed traps in Italy every year: Flat island and Cala Vinagra (Carloforte), Capo Altano and Porto Paglia (Portoscuso), Favignana, Camogli.