The times., 1900-12-30
sIcILY's TUNNY FISHERY.
How the Big Fish Are Caught and
Kept Captive.
(From the London stanaard,)

(From the London Staniard)
The Favignana tunneries are formed of
two long arms of net moored on shore; the
one to the west consisting of Coda or
tail. Is formed of a net which, starting
from the shore in a northerly direction for
about $500 metres, joins the so-called
funny island where the actual capture
of tho fish takes place. From the island
onward it is called the coda alta or up
per tail, and stretches parallel to and al
most as a prolongation Of the former, be-
ing slightly to the east for about 1000 me-
tres. always in northerly direction, and
terminating In three sides of a square
called a 'campile' The second wall or
arm, called a costa is also a net which
starts from the shore. but further to the
east than the coda and stretches in
northeasterly direction: this arm is about
2,700 metres in length. and ends, like the
coda alta in the 'campile,' its object be-
ing to prolong the natIral coast liue. These
two arms circumscribe the expanse Of wa
ter in which the funny are moving before
entering the tunnery, and serve 10 indi-
cate the direction they are to follow.
The nets are from thirty to forty me-
tres high according to the depth of water,
and they are held in position by a special
system OF mooring lines. A large hawser,
called 'sommo. kept sfoat by bundles
OF cork. is maintained in position by an
chors placed at stated intervals; to this
hawser the net is attached by means of
vertical lines. called 'modeiiari' and the
whole kept In vertical position by an
other hawser at the bottom, called the
'piombo.' which is weighted with large
pieces of stone. Thus the wall of net can
be trained In any required position offer
ing an obstruction to the passage OF fish,
which do not seek to pierce 1T, but follow
the lines traced out by the obstacle.
The funny coming from the west meet
the o-called coda alta. or costa and are
guided by these nets until they strike
against the coda skirting which they
enter into the tunnery proper, which is
divided into several chambers. both on the
east and west sides, each having a special
name; these chambers are closed or open
ed by raising or lowering net coverings TO
apertures in their sides. Boats are con-
stsntly on the watch to give prompt no
tict OF the entrance OF any funny. and
when these are passing the watchmen
open the apertures of the various chambers
one by one. and thus enclose the fish in
the inner chambers. and in like manner
finally oblige them TO enter the last. the
chamber OF death, or 'coppo,' as IL Is call
ed at Favignana This latter. unlike the
other compartments, which are formed of
wide and relatively fragile netting, and
only extend round the sides, is made of
ci5se and heavy hemp netting, Hgnter TO- |
ward the west. the bottom also being part
Of the same net which is held in position |
by strong hawsers and large bundles OF
cork, known as 'cagnazzi.
"The fish often enter the preliminary |
chambers at night unknown to the watch !
ers by simply going through the meshes /
of the netting. as they are attracted by
the others already inside. and once to- /
gcther they rarely come out again, as !
May and June Is their breeding season. !
and they willingly remain enclosed with
in narrow limits. Once the fish are gath
cred in the penultimate chamber, every
thing is got ready for the 'mattanza, or
haul, pontoon or barge the length of
the western side of the 'coppo' Is brought
over, and closes that side of the death
chamber by drawing the top OF the net
over the gunwale. and the sides are also
similarly closed by a number OF smaller
boats, thus forming a rectangle; when
this is done the fish are allowed to pass
into the final chamber. and another pom
toon takes up a position on the eastern
side, parallel to and opposite the former
one; IN this later pontoon are all the
men who haul up the net thus obliging
the fish to go toward the western or