Local Delicacy of the Kanagawa Region

By Beckett McNeil, Student Number: 91878850

What is it? Shirasu is the Japanese term How is it eaten? Fresh shirasu can be eaten
for “whitebait,” a catch-all term for raw. if it is not eaten fresh it is dried in
juvenile fish of various species. the sun or boiled. It is
often served on rice
as shirasu-don.

Where? Shirasu is caught and Why eat it? Shirasu is

eaten in many places in Japan but not only eaten for its
the Kamakura and Shonan areas in the flavour but also for its
Kanagawa prefecture are famous for it. protein and calcium contents.

Shirasu Fishing Terms (In English)

- “Whitebaiting” is the English term for catching whitebait which involves stringing out a large finely woven net
suitable to catching fish of the size of whitebait.
- “Sandeel” is another catch-all term for sardine-like fish. Whitebait is usually juvenile sandeel.
- A trait common among sandeels is that they “Aestivate.” Aestivation is similar to hibernation but occurs due to
temperature change rather than seasonally (although temperature change is usually caused by the seasons).
- A “Spawner” is an adult fish capable of producing the whitebait, or shirasu.

Shirasu Fishing
Traditionally, in the case of Ise Bay, shared by the Aichi and Mie prefectures, the local fisherman communally
agreed when to open shiarasu fishing, based on past experience and predicition. During the months of January to
April, the sandeel aestivate in the silt and mud on the bay floor. As such, fishing for these species would yield little
result. Furthermore, if the sandeel are fished too early many spawners would be caught, reducing the overall
shirasu yield during the rest of the year. At the most extreme, this could completely destroy the sandeel
population. Of course, every day later that fishing is closed is one less day of revenue for that season of fishing.

The Complicated Economics of Modern Shirasu Fishing

Shirasu overfishing is very dangerous as it can kill an entire population in just one generation due to the targeting of
juvenile fish. Overfishing adult fish that have already spawned another generation is necessarily less risky. This risk
also applies to fishing before the sandeel have time to spawn the shirasu. Beyond sustainability concerns, there is
the economic incentive to be the first of the season and be an exclusive seller before the season opens.

With the advent of industrialised fishing and a booming population, the ability and incentive to overfish the shirasu
grew exponentially. However, modern technology also enabled accurate recording and prediction of shirasu
population to allow for more accurate dates to open the fishery and determine the limit of shirasu fishable in one
fishery.

Going back to the example of Ise Bay, fishing authorities now decided when to open the fisheries based on expected
economic value. Sandeel value is based on size of shirasu / adult sandeel. The Sandeel Fisheries Management Model
predicts when the shirasu is at the optimal size, in optimal value and at a sustainable level. Furthermore, certain
areas of Ise Bay are protected marine areas so that the shirasu cannot be fished before they have finished
aestivating. The information to determine the model and protected areas are produced from acoustic monitoring
that measures the amount of vibration in water (caused by active sandeel that have stopped aestivating) and a
device called a karatsuri that can take samples of the adult sandeels aestivating in an area from beneath the silt, as
well as environmental factors and ocean currents.

By combining the communal self-governance and independent institutions already present with scientific analysis
the economic return of shirasu fishing is both assured and more profitable than ever, even though fishing takes
place less often and in a smaller area than it did traditionally.