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the tonnara. Below us was a series of intricate nets or “rooms” that stretched along the coast

for about 150 metres. Four hundred or so Atlantic bluefin swam below, ranging in weight

from 30 to 200 kilos. We were in the final room – la camera della morta – where the

mattanza takes place. Estimations were made using different visualisation technologies.

Below the surface divers filmed the transfer. Above the surface, Luigi had moved into a small

rowboat and was using a specchio (underwater ‘mirror’ see fig. 5.5) to view the underwater

activities. He checked below the surface soon after we arrived and then several times at

important stages of the transfer. He stayed in the boat yelling instructions and continuing to

look through the specchio. The first time he returned to our boat he estimated that four

hundred tuna remained in the last room, ranging in weight from 30 to 200 kilos. In the first

stage of the transfer, the tuna would need to move through into the camera della morta, and

in the second stage, into the cage.

Fig. 5.5 Luigi estimating numbers of tuna with a specchio. Isola Piana tonnara, 2013. Image by author.

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While Luigi was off the boat, Luca (captain of the boat) took on the role of

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