Swordfish Fishing Tradition

Swordfish fishing in the Strait of Messina is one of the oldest living fishing traditions in the Mediterranean basin, practised to this day on the waters between Calabria and Sicily. Fishermen from Scilla and nearby Bagnara Calabra head out to sea on specialised boats with tall sighting platforms, spotting and harpooning swordfish as they pass through the strait. This craft remains an important element of local identity and a memory of the old fishing world.

It is safer to speak here of ancient origins than of a single specific date. Swordfish fishing in the area of Scyllaeum and Messana was known already in antiquity, and the realities of fishing in the Strait appear in descriptions by Graeco-Roman authors writing about Scylla, Charybdis and the richness of these waters. This is enough to understand that it is not a local curiosity but a tradition deeply rooted in the history of the place.

Boats and technique – feluca, luntro, and passarella

Traditional swordfish fishing in the Strait of Messina involves specialised vessels and a small crew in which each member has a clearly defined role. Historically various types of boat and local naming conventions existed, but today the most characteristic remains the feluca used in the Scilla and Bagnara Calabra area.

The feluca (feluca, sometimes also spelled felucca) is a boat fitted with a very tall lattice mast or sighting tower and a long front walkway. The spotter stands high above the deck and from this position watches for fish near the surface, signalling the crew to manoeuvre. It is precisely this silhouette – a slender hull, a tall tower and a long boom over the water – that has become one of the symbols of the Strait.

It is worth clarifying the terminology: the passerella or passarella is the long walkway extending far beyond the bow, along which the harpooner moves. It does not replace the sighting mast but works alongside it – the spotter stands high up while the harpooner works on the front walkway. These are two key structural elements that should not be confused with each other.

Hunting strategy – knowledge passed down through generations

The fishermen of Scilla draw on a profound understanding of the sea and fish behaviour, handed down from father to son for generations. In local practice and stories, the motif of observing pairs of swordfish in season and choosing the moment to strike so as to increase the chances of success recurs. It is better to treat this as part of traditional fishing knowledge than a rigid biological rule.

The choice of fishing ground is no accident. The Strait of Messina, just 3.2 km wide at its narrowest point, forms a natural funnel through which migrating fish must pass. Strong sea currents push swordfish toward the surface, where they become visible to the spotter on the mast. It is precisely this geography that has made Scilla and neighbouring Bagnara Calabra among the best-known centres of traditional harpoon swordfish fishing in the Strait of Messina.

The tradition also has a communal dimension. Masses are held for a successful season before the fishing begins, and in Chianalea – Scilla's oldest fishing quarter – families still live who have been connected with this craft for five or six generations. It is one of those elements of local life best seen not in a museum display case but on the waterfront and in everyday conversations.

Swordfish in cuisine and culture – Sagra del Pesce Spada

Swordfish (pesce spada) is not just an object of the catch – it is a pillar of Calabrian cuisine and a cultural symbol of Scilla. Swordfish meat is delicate, slightly pink in colour, and suited to a wide range of culinary techniques:

• Grilled swordfish – steaks marinated in olive oil, lemon, and oregano, grilled over charcoal
• Involtini di pesce spada – thin rolls stuffed with breadcrumbs, capers and olives
• Carpaccio di pesce spada – raw, thinly sliced with olive oil and lemon
• Pasta con pesce spada – pasta with swordfish sauce, tomatoes, capers, and olives

In the cuisine of the Strait area, swordfish most commonly appears alla griglia, alla ghiotta – with tomatoes, olives and capers – and in involtini. Bagnara Calabra is famous not only for pesce spada but also for torrone di Bagnara IGP, and related traditions of preparing this fish exist on both sides of the Strait. In Scilla and Bagnara the local narrative is very specific: swordfish is not just a dish but part of the fishing identity of the place.

The climax of the season is the Sagra del Pesce Spada (Swordfish Festival), usually held in summer, often in July or August, depending on the municipality's calendar and organisers. It is a good opportunity to sample various swordfish dishes and hear stories from people connected with the sea. However, it is worth checking the current programme for the given year, as dates of local sagre can change.

Practical information

Fishing season: May – September (best chance of observation: June–July)
Sagra del Pesce Spada: Usually in summer, often in July or August, in Bagnara Calabra (approximately 15 km north of Scilla)
Where to see the boats: The best chances are at dawn, when vessels depart from the ports of Scilla and Bagnara Calabra; from land, good vantage points include the waterfront in Scilla, the Chianalea area and viewpoints near Castello Ruffo
Where to try swordfish: Restaurants in Chianalea serve fresh swordfish in season (May–September)

The easiest way to reach Scilla is by train on the Tirrenica Meridionale line. From Reggio Calabria Centrale station a regional train usually takes about 20–30 minutes, and from Villa San Giovanni about 10–15 minutes; Bagnara Calabra lies further north on the same line. By car, Scilla is on the A2 del Mediterraneo motorway, exit Scilla.

It is worth remembering that observing the boats is not a guaranteed daily attraction. Visibility depends on the weather, sea conditions and the fleet's current activity, so it is best to treat it as a bonus to a morning walk along the waterfront rather than a fixed item on the itinerary.

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