Today, I want to show you a new documentary of the program “Spain flush with sky”. This one talks about the proyect “Capture tuna over 200 pounds”, by the cousins Balfegó. You will watch to Francis Lorenzo (the presenter of the program) swimming with tuna:
http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/espana-a-ras-de-cielo/espana-ras-cielo-francis-nada-entre-atunes-mas-200-kilos/2088747/
The cousins Balfegó belong to five generations of fishermen, who have revolutionized the world of tuna.
Francis Lorenzo: “Today is a special day, because it is dedicated to the orders,that they have confirmed for the week. The tuna, that are caught on Monday, are an auction of Japan, USA, Korea and Brazil, on Wednesday.......... And after what the Balfegó cousins have told me , I want to see in person how to catch these fast fish, which can swim up to 70 kilometers per hour. My guide in this adventure will be Toni, a lover of the sea, who has spent half of his life to breeding and fishing for these amazing animals”.
You can read on the image of Toni: Toni López. Head of Operations.
Francis: “And when we have a piece, that we want to capture, the key is how we will kill it, right?”
Toni Lopez: “Yes, the key to the fish with the highest quality out is how to die, the fish have to die without stress, it goes swimming normally and then die. We have two or three shooters, who shoot fish, shoot the tuna in the head”.
Francis: “And then what happens: that if they die so and are not aware, the flesh remains intact - say - and product maintains the highest quality?”
Now you can read on the image: This year the maximum quota of bluefin tuna fishing is 1,140 tons.
Toni: “Indeed. If the fish is stressed, if not die like it has to die, it exchanges: the red and the texture would be totally different: it would be brown, I would not have colored”
Francis: “But from where they come…”
Toni: “We the capture….normally we make the capture at the south of the Balearic Islands”
Francis: “How do you bring them up here, to the pool?”
Toni: “We bring in tow, in transport cages, which you will now see, in some pools of 50 meters in diameter; very slowly, so that the fish does not get damaged”
While Toni was talking about capture, you can read on the image: Tuna two weeks traveling speed of 1.8 miles per hour.
Francis: “Well ... And what I am going to find, in water?.......”They say that really imposes, right?, I mean that is beautiful but ...”
Josep María: “They are big animals, they swimm quickly and they pass very close to you. It strikes you at first; but then you see that ... no problem”.
While Josep Maria was talking about tuna, you can read on the image: Josep María Sáez. Diver.
Francis: “I think I am going to try it. I hope to catch one tuna of these with 500 kilograms me alone…..to see what happens….”.
Francis: “We arrived at the fish farms, brimming with tuna; what I did not expect is that Toni invited me to swim with these giants, which can weigh up to 500 kilos”
You can read on the image: The largest tuna in the fish farm weighed 590 kilos .
Francis: “The truth is tah so, at the beginning, it gives some qualms.But, well…it is an opportunity , that I can not waste….. Piece of tuna, with whom I am meeting .....!..... but I am going to do it, Toni ....., I am going to do it”.
Toni: “You will enjoy it…, you already will see it”
Francis: “But, Did you see the speed they carry on?”……….
Francis: “They are bugs of 300 kilos and if I am honest, I am a little scared”……………………
Francis is swimming…..
Francis: “They are some vermin of this size…..”
Toni: “How had it go?”
Francis: “Come on, mate ... How is this…. .. it is amazing!....But what bugs….!!, Are not them?..But so…of 500 kilos….One “Miura” (a famous livestock in Spain. Its bulls are very very dangerous) just passed by me…”
Now you can read on the image: Divers grouped in one area of the cage, the tuna that they will catch that day.
Francis: “What is the most delicate moment?, When you were running the team I have seen how you sent floats, how you placed all your people in the water ...”
Toni: “What we are doing right now: put the fish in the "killer", in this net”
Francis: “Now divers are working under water to take them away there, right?, what they are dragging”
Toni: “Yes, yes”
Toni: “Francis….we have already closed and, according to the divers tell me, I think we will have here 2 fish, rising to 300 kilos”
Francis: “So now check fishing they have there, if they have the required size, the size that you have ordered and, if so, begin the process of killing and capturing, to upload the ship. Let's see how much tuna have gotten into this site”
Toni: “You go down half of the balloons and we start”….. “First pass bigs, as not to stress”
Now, you can read on the image: Each day they will use 120 tons of sardines and mackerel for tuna feed.
Toni: “They just shoot, Did you listen?, Look, there it is”
Francis: “Yes…there one comes, there one comes…one of the bigs”
Francis: “How many kilos will have this one,Toni, more or less?
Toni: “260”…” Do we weigh it?
Francis: “But, we are going to regret it, to see how the thing is; but it is a real bug. Toni was saying that this would be at about 260 ... weighs 276 kilos, going, wrong in 10 pounds ..., nothing, nothing, this is nothing, it is a good accuracy. Hey, it is a good bug, is a good bug "
Toni: “Now remove the viscera .... Here we look if it is male or female .... – Toni´s companier says a male -- ...., all these data the aim ...... And now, Ramon, give me the tail, when you finish .. and now this here tail sample is analyzed on the ship and here we take the percentage of fat ...; depends on the percentage of fat you have, it is going to one country or another, a client or another ... and normally, the highest percentage of fat is going to America, to the United States”.
Francis: “Thanks to a code label, a diner can know the whole path that will eat tuna: when and where they fished it, in what pool it was, how much of what was weighed and fed”…..”Well…what an experience…!”
Toni: “What do you think?”
Francis: “Ohh…awesome…It is amazing what the tuna .., I was surprised .... I have taken some scare ... also I have to say it ... hehe ... Has there been any time .... are some bugs, some bugs of 400 kilos .., that go through your hand and suddenly you say ....”
Manel (a fish exporter): “Noooo, harmless, completely .... they start eating next to you and when they see that there is enough distance to stop by your side,…..”
Francis: “And I have been amazed ... watch it: young people who are working, it is very well, and then you just caught, all prepared and it is in the world tomorrow .....”
Pere (a fish exporter, like Manel): “Yes…, this evening it goes out, at 5 in the afternoon and leave from Japan to the United States ....”
Manel: “It has its air ticket”
While they were talking about te trip of tuna, you could read on the image: Pere and Manel export red tuna to more than 25 countries.
Francis: “It has its air ticket…What a good loving so to a fish, Right?. That you love tuna and you can live from it …I feel great…I will from now eat more tuna..jeje”…”The last process is the cutting of tuna; a good cut is essential to get all the meat in one piece, which sells for 39 Euros a kilo ... The thing that attracts attention, is opening the tuna, is the resemblance to a good rack of veal ... in less than 24 hours, the tuna can be enjoyed anywhere in the world”.
I hope that you have test any tuna from Spain sometimes.
Till soon, kind regards,
Luis.
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