La peche au "kannizzati" = The "kannizzati" fishery

Abstract

The “Kainnizzati” Fishery, which is unique to Malta, deserves partic ular notice. The main fish taken, Dorado ( Coryphaena hippurus) and Pilot fish (Naucrates ductor) are surface swimming fishes of their migratory and spawning habits but they appear in Maltese waters from August to December, when they suddenly disappear. Both these species seek shelter under any object floating in the sea and it is this behaviour which the Maltese fishermen exploit by laying anchored cork floats seawards from the lsland up to eighty miles at intervals of one mile from float to float. This is very remarkable in that the depth in which these floats are anchored varies from 150 to 800 metres and may be greater in some areas.