Peixeira
By ahcravo gorim – António José Cravo
Exhibition with audio description
Introduction: the peixeira (or saltadoiro)
The mullet fishing in the Ria de Aveiro / Portugal holds unique traditions. One of them is the "peixeira" or "saltadoiro," a fishing technique so specialized that, in 2009, only one boat, that of Ti Manel Viola and his son Alfredo, from Bestida (Murtosa), practiced it. This virtual exhibition celebrates this technique, a true aquatic ballet that requires skill, patience, and deep knowledge of the estuary and its inhabitants.
The anatomy of the peixeira: nets and rods
By Ticiano Alves based on ahcravo gorim and technical information from Nobre, Freixo, and Macedo (1912).
“Salto, parreira or peixeira, is perhaps the most ingenious of inland fishing gear. Its use is only known in the Ria de Aveiro, where it was invented about half a century ago by a fisherman from Esgueira, and was immediately adapted by those from Murtosa, in whose hands it has remained almost exclusively” (NOBRE, AFREIXO E MACEDO, 1912).
According to the aforementioned authors, besides mullet, some other fish can be caught, such as sea bass and “flat fish.” Its use occurs in places with a depth of less than a fathom, with almost still waters as another requirement.
The peixeira is a complex art, anatomically composed of different nets and structures:
- The Curral (Corral):
- 7 rods of 1.50m, where the “manta” (mantle) is attached.
- Trammel net with 15m length and 1.20m height.
- Mesh of the “miúdo” (small fry) (central part): 0.08m.
- The Manta (Mantle):
- Horizontal net, fixed to the corral rods.
- Mesh: 0.06m.
- Width: 1.20m.
- Function: To capture the mullet that jump over the corral.
- The Surrounding Net
- Yesples net (single panel) with about 200m in length.
- Height: 1.20m.
-
Mesh size: 0.06m.
-
Weighted at one end for fixing to the bottom.
Credits
Exhibition: Fishmonger
ahcravo gorim - Antonio Jose Cravo
Photographer / Portugal
Honorary Member
EXEA Maritime Museum
Information, photographs and readings
Ticiano Alves
Exhibition Coordinator
Museu Marítimo EXEA
Coordination of audio descriptions, layout and curation
Leandro Vilar
General Director
Museu Marítimo EXEA
Camila Rios
Technical Director | Museologist
Museu Marítimo EXEA
Raphaella Belmont Alves
Executive Director | Proofreader
Museu Marítimo EXEA
Exhibition Review
NOBRE, Augusto; AFREIXO, Jaime; MACEDO, José. Relatório Oficial do REGULAMENTO DA RIA de 28 de Dezembro de 1912. Portugal.
Reference
© All Rights Reserved.
Legal Curation
The masters of the peixeira: the last guardians of the tradition
Ti Manel Viola, 88 years old in 2009, personified the ancestral wisdom of mullet fishing. Together with his son Alfredo, he kept the peixeira alive, an art passed down from generation to generation. Their routine was dictated by the tides and the market days in Pardelhas, where they sold the fresh fish, the fruit of their labor. However, their dedication to fishing faced a challenge: the low commercial value of mullet, which threatened the future of the peixeira.
Twelve Hours on the Ria: The Peixeira Ritual
The fishing tracking journey by ahcravo gorim began at noon. It was necessary to reach the fishing grounds as the tide was stopping, an essential condition for the fishmonger. Alfredo, at the engine, silenced the boat as he approached the promising locations. With the pole, he propelled the vessel gently.
"Reading the Ria": The Attentive Gaze of the Fisherman
In fishmonger fishing, experience and intuition are as important as the nets. The experienced fisherman "reads the estuary," carefully observing the subtle signs in the water: the movement of mullets, changes in the current, the reflection of the sun. It is a deep knowledge, passed down from generation to generation, that allows them to identify the best places to cast the nets and anticipate the behavior of the fish.
The Siege: A Silent Ballet on the Water
Casting the siege net is a crucial moment. The bateira glides silently, propelled by the pole, while the fisherman casts the approximately 400-meter net, forming a gentle curve in the water. The net, without intermediate fixings, requires the maneuver to be done at slack tide, so that it maintains its shape and surrounds the mullets. It is a precise dance between man, boat, and estuary.
The "Curral": The Mullet Trap
The "curral", also called "caracol" or spiral, is the heart of the peixeira. Formed by a trammel net staked on poles, it creates an ingenious trap. The first 20 meters are of vertical trammel net (the “arinques”). From there, in the “adaques”, the “manta” appears, a horizontal net cloth that extends out of the water. When the mullets jump to escape the curral, they fall onto the manta, getting caught.
The Wait and the Harvest: Patience and Reward
After casting the siege net and setting up the "curral", the waiting phase begins. The fisherman, with the pole, hits the water outside the net, pushing the mullets towards the "curral". It is a job that requires patience and knowledge of the fish's behavior. The harvesting of the net, done gradually, reveals the result of the cast, the reward for the effort and dedication.
Two Hours per Cast: The Time of the Peixeira
Each cast of the peixeira, from the initial preparation to the final harvesting of the net, takes about two hours. It is a time-consuming and meticulous process, which requires not only physical strength but also a deep knowledge of the estuary and the mullets. Time, in the peixeira, has its own rhythm, dictated by the tides, the fish, and tradition.
Future of the "peixeira": A Legacy at Risk?
Despite the mastery of Ti Manel and Alfredo, the future of the "peixeira" is uncertain. The low market value of mullet and the difficulty in finding successors who can master this complex art put a centuries-old tradition at risk. The "peixeira" is more than a fishing technique; it is a cultural heritage of the Ria de Aveiro, which deserves to be preserved and celebrated.