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Chipiona Catadors

The fishing corals at  Chipiona provide a very simple and indeed easy way to fish. They consist of artificial traps built with oyster stone walls. These are stone walls built over stone platforms. Over time the walls accrete a covering of crustacea, mainly scallops.



The system works with disarming simplicity. As the tide comes in, the sea level rises above the top of the walls and fish and shellfish drift in. Many are caught within the walls as the tide retreats. Along the walls there are pipes covered with grills to let the water out but not the fish.



The guide books claim these corals date back to Carthaginian times. I suppose this is possible, as Cadiz was certainly either inhabited by the Carthaginians or maybe even first populated by them three thousand years ago. In fact Cadiz is one of the oldest cities in Europe.



However, the first written evidence of these corals is from 1399. They were rebuilt after being destroyed as part of the fallout from the Lisbon earthquake of 1755.
Each of the corals is maintained by a ‘catador’. It is his right to have the first sampling of the day’s catch. When he has taken all he needs the rest of the fish and shellfish gatherers may go into the corals and scoop up what they may.

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