General part: Fishing in Djerba and Kerkenah
17/05/2012 10:46:21
Hi there from Sfax!!
Today we will give you some information about fishing and the sea that we have been gathering at Djerba and Kerkenah. We have not yet talked about the Kerkenah islands; we expect to describe them in the next few days.
The sea sponges were heavily commercialised at the end of the XIXth century as the Archduke mentioned. The sponge fishers used to dive 10 to 20 meters and needed to be able to stay up to four minutes under the sea. They used to find them thanks to a mirror called “Mraïa” which is a metal cilinder with a glass at one extreme, to be able to sea the sea bottom.
Our driver at Djerba, Kamel, told us that nowadays nobody wants to do this job because it is too tough, and it is not give much money anymore. Those who used to do so are already too old, and their sons and grandsons do not follow. This activity was usual at Djerba, also in Kerlenah, and it is still done in the zone of Sfax.
Concerning oysters, specially at the south of Djerba it is posible to sea people that take them directly from the sea walking in very shallow waters.
In order to take octopus small pots are thrown into the water. The octopus take them for shelters and get inside. After some days the fishers get the pots and put the octopus inside the boat.
The traditional pots were made out of pottery from Guellala, and were called “gargoulettes”. Later the shapes of the pots evolved, and nowadays they are even made out of concrete. This type of fishing is done in the same way in many other place, for instance in Castellón.
Fixed fisheries or “Zarbas” can be seen around specially in Djerba and Kerkenah. Theidea is to construct a path with palms so that the fish are forced to follow the path and enter romos called “achouchas”. There they put “drinas” where the fishes enter but they cannot exit anymore.
Fishing with hooks is also done thanks to longlines, the typical fish that is got this way are dorades and merous.
During the whole time that we have been sailing we have seen plenty of boats bottom trawling, especially in the Gulf of Gabés. They are normally followed by many seagulls that eat the small fish that is discarded. They fish shrimp, cuttlefish, sole, etc.
Best wishes!!
