Fishing Industry

The Fishing Industry in Spain

If you are a lover of fish and shellfish then this part of the world is a great place to be. Not only is the fish wonderful but it is cheap too.

In our local supermarket the array of gambas alone is a sight to see. In Calpe the Town Council and the Fisherman's Guild have started a promotion campaign for the "Peix de Calp" (Valenciano for the Fish of Calpe). Their aim is to make known the virtues of their fish which you can see on the arrival back into the harbour each day and at the auctions at the fish market where there is a specially designed vantage point for you to watch from.

Before the appearance of the tourist phenomenon that started in the seventies, the economy of Calpe was based on fishing and agriculture. From time immemorial fishing has been the fundamental activity of the town, from the original fishing from the coast, to trawling in sailing boats "les parelles", trapnetting and to a lesser extent the trammel (triple dragnet) and the paternoster line, until arriving at the present day's trawling in powerful boats.

Fish nowadays still constitutes the base of the traditional cuisine of Calpe which has been passed on for generations and which is tasted by locals and tourists in most restaurants. Along the front of Calpe close to the harbour many restaurants display the fresh fish and shellfish for you to choose from and then they cook it to your requirements. The wonderful aromas is enough to entice you in!

The fish unloaded in "La Lonja de Calp" (the fish market of Calpe) is mainly distributed for consumption to the local market that extends from Valencia to Murcia, but its qualities are also known in other important cities like Madrid and Barcelona, where fish is especially appreciated. Lots of establishments offer dishes which are full of fish and sea food, but only those which display the "Peix de Calp" symbol can guarantee that the fish served is the fish unloaded and sold in the harbour and fish market of Calpe and therefore gives their guarantee of quality. The symbol is a blue circle with the words Peix de Calp around it and a fish of yellow and red in the centre.

Also the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food obliges by law that all fishing products; fresh, refrigerated or boiled are labeled. Therefore all fish which comes from Calpe is labeled again with their symbol.So what type of fish is in a typical catch from Calpe? The most representative and commercialized species in La Lonja de Calp are the giant red prawn, medium sized prawns, sardines, conger eel, mackeral, swordfish, red bream, monkfish, red mullet, blue whiting, forkbeard, whiting, plaice, mantis prawn, squid, octopus and small cuttlefish.

There are many dishes using fish in this area and quite varied, but outstanding in the local traditional cuisine are: Llauna de Calp, the Arros del Senyoret, the Parillada de Marisco (mixed grilled seafood), the Marinera de Peix (a fisherman's pot), the Arros Negre (black rice), the Putxero de Polp (octopus in sauce) and the Blanquet (black pudding).

You can try one yourself... here is a recipe for Llaunade Calp.

Ingredients for 4 persons:

• 1kg of varied fish of your choice (e.g. conger eel, crabs, mantis prawn etc)
• 4 slices of hake, whiting or place
• 4 potatoes (sliced not too thickly)
• 1 tomato (sliced)
• 1 spoon of paprika powder
• garlic
• parsley
• salt and saffron
• 4 soup spoons of olive oil

Preparation: This dish can be cooked on the hob or in the oven. It's preparation is very easy as all the ingredients are put in together raw and the results obtained are very satisfactory.
An earthenware dish, paella pan or any other flat receptacle is needed. Spread the potatoes out on the bottom of your chosen dish. The spread the tomato slices on the potato. Next
add the fish of you choice in such a way that the firmest ones (crabs, prawns etc) are placed under the tender ones (whiting, plaice etc) Sprinkle with the oil. Cover with water and add the
chopped garlic and parsley, paprika powder, salt and saffron. Cook for about half and hour on a low setting.

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