There has been salt production in Western Sicily for 3.000 years. The area is perfect for this purpose thanks to the high salinity of the Mediterranean Sea and a climate characterized by low precipitation, lots of sun and frequent wind to help evaporation, as originally discovered by the Phoenicians. These sailors, traders and merchants presumably established a colony in Trapani, monopolized the salt and used it to preserve meat and fish such as mackerel and tuna caught in the strait between Trapani and Favignana. The salt could also be used in the tanning process to cure leather. The Phoenicians were followed by other people and civilizations like Arabs and Normans, who continued to produce and trade salt from Trapani, and the industry grew. Yet the production method remained the same until the end of the 18th century, when the first Sicilian salt mills were introduced.