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Tunny Fishing in Tunis

In this most interesting series are depicted the methods employed in an industry of which little is known outside Tunis-that of fishing for Tunny or Thon, and its preparation as on article of diet. Thon, though a delicacy served at the principal hotels and fashionable restaurants of the world, is a luxury very seldom procured in any save a canned or preserved form, except in Tunis.
When full grown this fish measures from 12 to 16 feet, and weighs between 500 and 600 pounds. Nets for catching these finny monsters must of necessity be strong. They are made of the stoutest hempen rope, and are paid out over a large sea area during the night, afterwards being anchored to barges. In this instance as many as 20 barges are shown, manned by 400 to 500 fishermen- not too great a number to conduct one haul.
In the morning these barges, which act as gigantic floats to the net, are formed into a circle, gradually decreasing in area and closing upon the catch. ln their frantic endeavour to escape the encircling net -biting, rushing, and ferociously attacking each other-the water is converted into a squirming, seething cauldron, and on the fish being brought to the decks of the barges it is generally found that one half their number have been killed by the other half.
Over 800 fish were secured in this demonstration. They are drawn from the water  by fishermen armed with long, barbed harpoons, as shown in the illustration. After a haul, the water for miles in the vicinity of the catch is red with the blood of the victims of the fisherman's harpoon, and of their own ferocity.
The photographic quality of this series is superb, and the film full of action. A most unusual and enthralling subject.
The series is arranged in the following order:-
Fishermen leaving the Village. Throwing out the Nets. The captured Fish. Efforts to Escape. Harpooning the Monster Fish. Loading Barges with the Catch. Washing and transferring the Fish to Shore. Decapitating and Cleaning the Fish. Cutting up the Carcase for canning purposes.

URB 1906

La pêche au thon en Tunisie

Cette vue pittoresque montre la façon de prendre et de préparer ce poisson si apprécié des gourmets. Le thon n'était livré à la consommation que sous forme de conserves, peu de personnes ont une idée de la grosseur de ce poisson géant dont la longueur atteint parfois plus de 4 mètres et le poids dépasse 600 kilos.
Sur plusieurs kilomètres dans les eaux que le t.hon a l'habitude de fréquenter on tend des immenses filets amarrés au fond de la mer, les thons qui sillonnent toujours les bords de la côte s'engagent dans ce filet dont la pointe est ramenée progressivement à terre; aussitôt que les thons apparaissent à la surface ils sont harponnés et hissés à bord.
Ordre des vues :
Les pêcheurs quittent le village.
Les filets sont tendus en mer.
Les filets ramenés à terre.
Les thons sont harponnés et hissés à bord.
Lavage et transport a l'usine.
Découpage des thons.
La qualité photographique de cette vue, l'intérêt tout particulier qu'elle offre, dépassent tout ce que l'on a montré jusqu'à ce jour comme vue marine.
Mot télégraphique : Thon.
Longueur : 80 mètres.

Phono-ciné Gazette, deuxième année, nº 32, Paris, 15 juillet 1906, p. 273.