The Xávega art, an endangered artisanal fishing system, in addition to being a way of life for some fishermen in Meia Praia, is also an attraction for tourists, said the Câmara de Lagos today.
Joaquina Matos, mayor of Lagos, told the Sul Informação that the local authority, despite not having any project to support this ancestral fishing art, «looks at its continuation with great interest».
The municipality claims to recognize the «historical and heritage value of the tradition linked to Algarve fishing», in particular of the local Xávega art.
Xávega is an artisanal form of trawl fishing, which performs a siege that sweeps the sandy bottom in a variable length, in an arc, depending on the size of the gear. The net dropped by the barge, or slang, is connected to land by two cables and is then pulled from the beach, capturing the fish found inside the enclosure.
Traditionally, the collection was done by manual labor, also recording the use of yoke of oxen, and later on, tractors were introduced – namely on the west coast. In Meia Praia, the tradition of pulling the net by force of arms has been maintained for over 100 years.
Mayor Joaquina Matos revealed that, in Meia Praia, «there is already only one fisherman from Meia Praia with a license to do this fishing, maintaining a tradition that belongs to his father. To maintain this license, every year he has to sell fish at the auction for a few days».
“People who are on the beach also help to pull the nets and sometimes even get a fresh fish”, he recalls.
In 2013, a motion by the CDU was approved in the Municipal Assembly of Lagos, defending the continuity of this art in its artisanal version, to the detriment of the use of mechanical means, contrary to what has been seen lately (production of an art using tractors).
At the time, it was argued that “this fishing is not just a livelihood for fishermen. It is equally significant in terms of the local economy, in the non-polluting or predatory exploitation of a natural resource, as it represents an interesting and unique spectacle for beach users, to the point that visitors travel purposefully to enjoy this work, and even to participate in the task of pulling the net».
It is in this sense that the municipality claims to recognize «the value of the tradition of this art, which takes place throughout the year and which attracts attention and attracts the sympathy of local people and tourists».
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