Write down the species you can catch (and eat) on the coast of Tenerife

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If there's anything you can brag about Tenerife and especially from Puerto de la Cruz it is fresh fish. It is not in vain that there are many families in the municipality that have 'always' been linked to the fishing tradition. Like that of Adán Santiago Estévez Martín, head of Grupo La Pescadería, a family business dedicated to catching, selling and cooking. That is, they have a fishing boat, a fishmonger on the dock and in the municipal market (with show cooking on Saturdays), as well as two restaurants in the city center (La Pescadería and La Pescadería Street).

But his is an unusual case in this coastal port where “there are only five or six professional fishing boats left that go out to sea.” A productive sector is that of fishing that until not so long ago has been a “source of food” for many Portuenses and in which there is no generational change. “The majority of the people in the Port were either fishermen or worked in hotels” and currently “there is not even a 10% of what there was before,” says Adán.

There are many factors that determine what has happened. For Adam, one of the most important is that there are not enough fish in the sea, whether due to overfishing, pollution or global warming. This fact logically affects consumption. “There is also another issue, and that is that fish has not appreciated. In 10 years the fish has continued to be sold the same, at the same price. This is because there is no demand,” he adds. To exemplify this, he tells us that “90%” of the current catch “goes to the restaurants, which is where the demand is” when a few years ago that same percentage “of the fish that was caught went to the hotels, which worked with fresh fish.” from Puerto de la Cruz. Nowadays there are very few hotels that work with fresh fish.”

Faced with this situation, which is not exclusive to Puerto de la Cruz but a global challenge, the response is to diversify, innovate and look for alternatives to provide an outlet for this artisanal and demanding activity.

What varieties are caught in these waters?

If you are thinking of visiting Tenerife and more specifically Puerto de la Cruz to be surprised by its local cuisine, you have to know what varieties of fish you will find in the area. “Especially beach fish,” says Adán, “the old fish, the seabream, the whitecap... This area has black kingfish, which is highly appreciated. Some little kisses too.”

What if we look for something different? “The rooster is a very good fish that is caught seasonally a lot here on this coast and it is a delicacy.”

As for the fishing gear most used by the fishermen of Puerto de la Cruz, “due to the type of geography” there are “pot fishing and shrimp fishing, which is also done in pot”, a practice that is developed by the boat from La Pescadería in Puerto de la Cruz, although “there are some small boats that are still doing longline fishing.”

The effort made from the manufacturing of the fishing gear (pots, nets, etc.) until the product reaches the plate is invested mainly in the region: “We have a point of sale on the dock and also La Pescadería del Mercado Municipal ; The fishing goes to the fishmonger and to the restaurants.”

Fish and eat with conscience

When we travel or when we go on excursions to nearby towns we want to taste good gastronomy, that is, eat well. But we also want to eat consciously. We are not only concerned that the product is of quality, but also its origin and the processes to which it has been exposed until the moment it is on the plate. And with this, betting on sustainability, which in this case also means guaranteeing that people who depend on fishing can maintain their livelihood.

A good way to support it is to go to the restaurants in Puerto de la Cruz and order local fish. The offer is very varied: from more traditional grilled, grilled or stewed proposals, to more avant-garde recipes, prepared in hamburgers, or cooked in an elaborate stew. Of course, consumer preferences are different, according to Adán: “Customers here look for local fish, they know the island's fish. People from abroad either come looking for the fish they know because they have tried it on some occasion. , or else a fish that does not have many bones. Especially the Nordics prefer a fillet or a slice.”

But the star, without a doubt, in recent years is the fresh Canarian tuna, especially the year-round bigeye tuna and the seasonal bluefin tuna. “Prepared on the grill, in tartar that is now fashionable… an important gap is opening up because almost all restaurants are putting it on their menu.” It is one of the varieties of fish that sell the most at La Pescadería, “a fish that is very expensive outside of here and we, who have it at a very good price, were not taking advantage of it,” says Adán, who adds that among the top 3 of the most requested are the grouper and the grouper.

With these notes you already have an idea of what you can enjoy, gastronomically speaking, if you go down to the Port one of these days. So, bon appetit!