Fishing in the western side of the Promontory

Along this strip of coast many fishing techniques can be observed, from the easier and amateur angling or hand line fishing, to professional long line fishing with many hundreds of hooks, trammel nets, traps, “sciabiche” (sweep net trawls) as those used for the young or tiny fishes “bianchetti” (juveniles of European pilchard) and “rossetti” (transparent goby), lamps on the boats, the famous “lampara”, and so on. The more evident and fascinating structure is the “tonnarella” (tunny-fishing net), that has been let down in the sea opposite San Nicolò for centuries between April and September. The net, partially made in the area of San Fruttuoso di Capodimonte, you can see there the tools that have been used, is let down in the sea following the instructions of the “Rais”, the most expert fisherman who studies the current courses. A legendary figure that has remained in the hearts of the citizens of Camogli and its Fishing Cooperative was Lorenzo Gelosi, known as “Cen”. He died a little while ago while still active in coordinating the activities of the skippers and alternating six-man crews in raising the net three times a day. In this way they caught and landed in Camogli Atlantic bonito, bullet tuna, greater amberjack, with occasional red tuna and other species. Another kind of fishing, even if less spectacular, employs the “mugginara” (mullet fishing net), a sack net with only one opening, let down in the sea opposite the stripe of coast between Punta Chiappa and Porto Pidocchio, where the net can sink into the deep, in the same period of the “tonnarella” . The net is cast from a projecting spit and observed from land by a watchman. When there is fish in the net, the boat is called and two men haul in the net and empty it, ready to be re-cast.