The Thonaire of Sidi Daoud in the 19th Century: From a Beylical Privilege to a Family Project with Mediterranean Prospects

Abstract

Tuna fishing in Tunisia remained a purely Italian industry, practiced by Sicilian crews for a market that was almost exclusively focused on the Italian peninsula. In 1824, Bey Hussein granted the right to fish for tuna at Cap Zebib to a Genoese man from Tunis, Giuseppe Maria Raffo. Two years later, in November 1826, the same bey granted Raffo the right to fish for tuna along the coasts of Cap Bon, particularly around the islet of Sidi Daoud, for a period of six years.

The example of the Sidi Daoud tuna fishery, established in 1825, became well-established by the mid-19th century. The transition from a beylical concession to a family-run business with a Mediterranean outlook was a logical evolution that perfectly illustrates the process of economic patrimonialization.