Fishing with poisons in shallow and stagnant waters like these in Sotavento is an ancient method that is widespread in many parts of the world. In the Canary Islands, the cardón and the bitter tabaiba were used above all, whose milky sap is very toxic. By throwing cut branches of these plants into the water, the fish that were more or less nearby were soon stunned, floating on the surface, from where they could be easily caught.
This non-selective fishing method is today prohibited.
