Paxos y Antipaxos

“One of the most important trades on Paxos is fishing. There are approximately 100 fishermen, though only 2 or 3 fish all year long. The others combine it with other jobs. There are only rod fishermen on Antipaxos. There are 7 fishing boats called trattas which are very elegant in appearance with a naval ram on the prow. They use a sail like those on the traditional gajeta falkusa fishing boats in the Adriatic.

There are another 11 small boats, the majority with a square stern, which are used to fish in waters around Paxos. Logically, most fishermen use nets.

The palamido-diktio net is a type of wall net which reaches the seabed with lead weights while the top part stays up with corks at more or less the same height depending on the water depth. It measures 80 fathoms long and 4 high. It’s used in the ports, especially Porto Spuzzo and the main port, during the months of October to May on moonless nights.

The apladi net is similar to the previous one, but thinner and used to fish the saddled sea bream ( Oblada melanura) which is why these nets are also known as dikti melanuria. They also use it to capture Salema porgies. The net also has lead weights along the bottom, though it rises fairly high up in the water depending on the depth. It normally measures 60 fathoms long and 3 high. It’s used from October to May on moonless nights.

Some also secretly fish with dynamite, especially near the three ports. At night some fish with a trident (kamaki), with 5 or 2 tongs, along with a fotia, light or burning sticks attached to the front part of the boat placed atop earth or an iron plate, capturing different fish and squid (oktapus). Squid can also be caught using a piece of white plant called alfaques with a basket in the middle.”

To capture pen shell clams, squid and sponges, they use the yali. It’s a fat lens attached to the end of a rod which helps fishermen see the seabed even if the sea is rough. The yali is also used to see any object on the bottom. They cost one Thaler. It’s used to capture sea urchins (echinus) which can be either big or small. They are caught without the lens in shallower waters.