What is Almadraba Wild Tuna and where can you eat it in Zahara de los Atunes?

Imagen del copo durante el inicio de una 'levantá' de atunes frente a la playa de Atlanterra.

The Almadraba is an art that has practically not changed at all for 3,000 years , the date from which this sustainable fishing method dates. But let's take it slow, there's a lot to tell here.

Three millennia ago the Phoenicians Installed on the Cadiz coast of the Strait of Gibraltar, they decided to market the tuna that Each season, around April, it migrated from the cold waters of the North Atlantic to the warm waters of the Mediterranean to reproduce and spawn.

Due to the scarcity of resources at the time, they designed a fishing system close to the coast based on a network of thousands of anchors, ropes and buoys which formed a labyrinth, through which a small part of the tuna community that advanced in its migration slipped through.

Un marinero en uno de los barcos de la almadraba recoge algunas boyas momentos antes de la 'levantá'.

Thus, they realized two things: First, that this, and no other, was the optimal time for tuna fishing. Second, by catching only a small portion of the tuna and allowing the rest to cross over to breed in the Mediterranean, they were safeguarding the species.

Thanks to this, we can still enjoy this product today, which for obvious reasons is scarce, since currently the fishing by means of almadraba is still limited by the EU to a specific number of tons.

Furthermore, the average size of the tuna they catch must be between 180kg and 200kg, and their average age must be 14 years. In fact, to ensure compliance, it is mandatory for a technician from Seprona (the Nature Protection Service of the Civil Guard) and the Ministry to accompany the captain on his boat during each catch.

Fuente: Gadira.

In 2026 the four main tuna traps in Cádiz (Barbate, Zahara de los Atunes, Conil and Tarifa) will manage a quota of 1,642.45 tons of Wild Almadraba Tuna.

So far, it is clear that not all wild tuna are from almadraba, but only those caught using this ancient fishing method also shared with countries like Portugal or Morocco.

But then, is wild tuna caught using a fishing method other than the almadraba of the same quality? Of course not. And here's why.

Los atunes son los peces más rápidos del océano Atlántico.

The moment of catching the tuna is known as 'levantá' and takes place at the Copo (point H in the diagram shown above). Here, four large ships and several smaller boats form a quadrilateral with the Copo in the center, from where they raise a net with the tuna to be caught that day.

When only 1 or 2 meters of water remain above the surface, and the swift fins of the tuna appear, the divers, key figures in this entire process, jump into the water. They are responsible for spearing the tuna in the temple with large lances, as well as selecting the oldest and largest tuna, discarding the younger ones.

The haul-out must be as clean as possible to reduce stress and suffering to the animals and also to prevent them from thrashing on the deck of the boat when they are pulled ashore dying. This is important because the tuna's thrashing on the surface causes the flesh to bruise, which reduces the quality of the product.

Today we know that this was imposed by the Japanese, buyers of a large part of the wild tuna catches from almadraba for decades, who forced the change from the traditional method of 'lifting' using a hook to this more recent one that significantly reduces the stress on the fish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsvNJvQ5N0M

This video of the almadraba from the program "Tierra y Mar & Espacio Protegido" on Canal Sur perfectly explains the entire process of the levantá.

Once on the boat, which uses large mechanical pulleys to lift the tuna (each fish can weigh up to 600 kg), they are stored in ice- and water-filled chambers and transported to the port for the Ronqueo process . There, the tuna are immediately butchered and flash-frozen in three fleeting seconds in -60ºC tubes, ensuring the product retains all its properties as if it were fresh.

What's most impressive? How close and beautiful the beaches of Atlanterra and Zahara de los Atunes look from the boat...

"ZAHARA" OR THE DESERT OF THE TUNA

It is said that Zahara comes from the Arabic word "sahra," meaning desert. Indeed, when this term appeared, around the 15th century, Zahara resembled a sandy area with its immense dunes. It was easy to combine the two characteristics of the place to form the name that today christens this district of Cádiz, "Zahara de los Atunes" (Zahara of the Tuna).

Playa de Atlanterra desde donde se puede observar la pesca de la almadraba.

And it is precisely here where today you can enjoy the best pieces of this product which, as we have already explained, is scarce by nature.

The popular saying goes that "everything from the pig to its gait and from the tuna to its swimming."

At our Tía Juana Restaurant we prepare it as the Japanese taught the locals decades ago, before the boom of Japanese food in Spain, raw, in tartare and sashimi with the black loin part.

Of course, we also offer it cooked through our Tuna Caramel , a piece of loin marinated in soy and wasabi, wrapped in wakame seaweed, tempura-battered and served with a light cucumber salad.

Although without a doubt the star dish since last year is this Tuna Osso Buco cooked at low temperature and served with muhammara sauce.

If you want to learn more about this wonderful world and experience it firsthand, don't hesitate to book a table.