Platja de Canyelles

TYPE: Beach

ENVIRONMENT: Semi-urban

ORIENTATIONS: South 

LENGTH: 264m.

MEDIUM WIDTH: 17m.

TYPE OF SAND: Very thick

PENDING ENTRY TO WATER: Soft

RONDA'S PATHS: Yes

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Yes

TOURIST BOAT: Yes

NAUTICAL ACTIVITIES: Yes

UNDERWATER ACTIVITIES: Yes

BEACONING: Yes

PARKING: Yes

ACCESS FOR THE DISABLED: Yes

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (ºC)

JUNE: 19ºC          JULY: 20ºC          AUGUST: 22ºC          SEPTEMBER 21ºC

CAP DE RAS

 The Catalan word ras describes an open, low-lying area. As a place name, Cap de Ras denotes the contrast of the area with the surrounding high-lying promontories. This place marked the centuries-old boundary between the monastic domains of Sant Quirze de Colera and Sant Pere de Roda. [Plujà i Canals, Arnald: Estudi del Cap de Creus: La costa: Diccionari toponímic, etimològic i geogràfic].

Lantern [Farella: 5], long-line and gillnet fishing, batre and reganar were all practised off these beaches and coves. Long-line fishing is a hook and line technique, whereas gillnetting is an enmeshing technique, by means of which the fish become entangled in the meshes of rectangular nets lowered into the sea. Batre consists in fishing with nets in places with rocks. Reganar is fishing with trident and light at night.

Long-line fishing

Long-line fishing gear is basically a main fishing line to which branch lines with baited hooks are attached. The line is cast and pulled up in one piece and yields a great diversity of captures. The Catalan words used to describe the various types of line are palangret (short line), palangre (standard line) and palangró (very long line). Traditionally, long-lines could be dropped to different depths, and cast from either land or boats. Surface lines were also used.

 Long-lines were sometimes baited with boiled octopus, or otherwise with hermit crab, squid, sea cucumber, mussels or scallops. Live bait (preferably sand eels) was also used.

 Bottom long-line fishing is only found in the Gulf of Lion area and is mainly used for catching demersal hake.

Gillnetting

Gillnets are cast down vertically to the seabed, with a stone attached to each end, and are anchored with a rope and a cork float. This type of fishing gear is used to intercept the passage of fish, crustaceans and molluscs, and can be handled by a single fisherman working out of a small boat.

 Gillnets are cast at sunset or in the small hours of the night and are pulled up again before sunrise. They can be used on either rocky, seaweed or sandy sea beds.

Bibliography:

BOIX, Lurdes: Pescadors de Catalunya, converses amb gent de la mar (Generalitat de Catalunya, Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, 2003).

ROIG, Emerencià: La pesca a Catalunya (Noray, 1996)

SALA i LLOBERAS, Joan; and DOMÈNECH i MONER, Joan: La pesca, (Girona Provincial Council and Caixa de Girona, 1994).