Fishing is a tradition passed down through families, where knowing how to fix things on the boat is very important. Tuna, swordfish, and lampuki are the main fish caught. The fishermen often work in teams of five to twelve people, usually family members, led by the padrun, or captain, who owns the boat and takes a larger share of the catch. Even with all their hard work, fishermen still need a bit of luck, as there’s no guarantee they’ll always catch a lot of fish.

Fishing is closely connected to nature, with factors such as the time of day, weather, tides, and the moon affecting their success. Fishermen like Joseph Callus from Vittoriosa and Emanuel Mallia from Kalkara know that this job doesn’t allow for breaks, even in bad weather. When they can’t go out to sea, they repair their gear while keeping an eye on the changing weather.

Sunrise and sunset are the best times to fish, especially during a new moon when the sky is darkest. The lampara technique, which uses artificial light to attract fish, works best in complete darkness. But for certain catches, like squid, the light of a full moon can actually help.

But this technology also means that fish are being caught faster than they can be replaced, and it’s causing the old ways of fishing, known as sinjali tal-art, to disappear. This traditional skill, which was once so important, is now fading as younger fishermen depend more on technology instead of learning the old ways.

Fishing in Malta is becoming harder, with new rules from the EU and environmental issues making it less appealing for young people to take up this traditional job. There’s also been a big drop in the number of women involved in fishing, which is different from the past when women were key in helping their families through fishing. Today, women mostly handle selling the fish, keeping a small connection to Malta’s fishing heritage.

Experienced fishermen worry that if the younger generation isn’t encouraged to continue fishing, Malta’s industry might shift more towards fish farming. Farmed fish, like European seabass and gilthead sea bream, don’t taste as good or have the same nutritional value as wild-caught fish because they’re fed artificial diets. Even though farmed fish are cheaper and more common in restaurants, some high-end restaurants still offer only fresh, wild-caught fish from local waters. The fishing industry’s challenges are also seen in its ageing workforce, with most fishermen over 40 years old and fewer young people joining the field.

In the early 1900s, while other countries had already started using advanced methods like bottom trawling, Malta still relied on traditional fishing techniques. Fishing in places like bays, creeks, and harbours was limited, and special licenses were needed to use nets. Dr. Farrugia Randon’s research highlights the wide range of fishing methods that Maltese fishermen, both professional and amateur, have used over the years. These include different types of nets, pots, and long-lines (sajd bir-rixa), such as the trammel net (parit), seine net (tartarun), and gill net, each designed for catching specific fish like bonito, sea bream, and prawn (gangmu tal-gambli).

Each fishing tool has its own history. For example, the tartarun net was often used by older fishermen to encircle schools of fish, with part of the catch given to the village priest as a way to make up for working on Sundays.

Some fishing practices, like using the imqass for shellfish or the gaffa for sea urchins, have become less common due to environmental changes like pollution. These tools and methods, once vital to Maltese fishing culture, now stand as reminders of the island’s rich maritime history, showing how local fishing practices have changed over time due to environmental and regulatory factors.

Nassa tal-Vopi

This trap is made from cane or special reeds brought in from Africa. Fishermen set the Nassa tal-Vopi traps in the afternoon and leave them in the water for about four to five hours. They usually set around 15 traps at a depth of 15-20 meters, about 1 meter above the sea bottom. Inside the trap, they hang bait made from mashed bread and powdered beans. The fish, called bogue, swim in through a small opening at the bottom to eat the bait.

Nassa tal-Qarnit:

This trap is made from chicken wire and is used to catch octopus. Fishermen place these traps in the water and then pull them out between 5 and 7 p.m. After taking out the octopus, they bait the traps again with chub mackerel and set them back in the water. Up to 150 traps can be placed together on the sea bottom at a depth of 10-20 meters.

Nassa tal-Arznell:

Made from cane, the Nassa tal-Arznell is a special trap used only in Gozo to catch picarel fish. These traps are set in the afternoon, around 3 p.m., and are pulled out after four or five hours. Up to four traps are placed about 1 meter from the bottom at a depth of 15-20 meters. Interestingly, no bait is needed for this trap because the fish are believed to enter it to lay their eggs.

(for more detailed information on traps, nets, hooks and lines visit here)

Fishing Boats – (Check out boat and shipbuilding)

Between the 1860s and the 1920s, Maltese fishers mainly used boats like the ferilla, luzzu, and the kajjik ( a flat-sterned Luzzu). The frejgatina was often used to reach bigger boats moored away from the shore. These wooden boats were equipped with traditional fishing gear, such as traps, fishnets, and long-lines. Fishing in the central Mediterranean was not particularly specialized for the Maltese, unlike in other regions like Tunisia, Sicily, or Andalusia, where specific fishing methods like tuna fishing or anchovy processing were well-known.

In 1895, one Maltese family business, Gollcher, made an attempt at deep-sea fishing, but this was unusual. Most fishing boats in Malta were still small and made of wood, which was expensive to maintain. By the early 20th century, the ferilla became the most popular Maltese fishing boat, while other traditional boats like the brigantine and speronara were phased out.

In recent times, traditional wooden boats have been replaced by bigger fishing boats such as the lanċa and trawlers made of fiberglass, which are less suitable for the sea. This change, along with fewer fishers and stricter regulations, threatens the future of traditional Maltese fishing boats. Despite some improvements, like better selling practices and free markets, more needs to be done to protect these traditional boats and the livelihoods of fishers.

Written with reference to:

‘Lands of Hunger’ – food scarcity and famine in Early Modern Malta by William Zammit. In Food as ‘Voice’ Proceedings of History Week 2017, The Malta Historical Society, edited by Noel Buttigieg and George Cassar.

‘Living on Fishing, Caught in the Market: The Maltese fishing communities, 1860s-1920’ by John Chircop, Journal
of
Maltese
History
Volume
2
Number
1,
2010.21.

‘Maltese Fishing Villages: the Fishers’ Changing Identities’ by Stephanie Cumbo, Master of Arts (Maltese Studies), 2023.

‘Fishing in Malta’ uploaded online by Vassallo Malta. Accessed in August 2024: https://vassallohistory.wordpress.com/fishing-in-malta/