Tanabe and the surrounding area have many types of fishery resources thanks to the Kuroshio Current Kinan tributary. Main species are horse mackerel, mackerel, shirasu whitebait, threeline grunt, and bonito, and lobster, prawn, blue crab, and hirome seaweed are also landed.

Threeline grunt

Threeline grunts are caught all year round. Especially in winter and early summer before spawning, the fish are very fatty and delicious. Threeline grunts that are a mild white fish are eaten in various ways including sashimi, grilled with salt, simmered, and deep fried.
The waters around Tanabe Bay are called the Kishunada. The tidal currents are fast there, with the Kuroshio Current tributary and seawater from the Seto Inland Sea flowing in, and the threeline grunts caught there is nice and firm.
Among the fish landed at the Tanabe fishing port, ‘Kishu Isagi’ threeline grunts are carefully caught one by one using handline fishing to avoid damaging the fish and are returned to the port alive and killed with the ikejime method just before being landed so they are shipped off very fresh.
Handline fishing is kind to the environment as it prevents overfishing, and other efforts are also made to preserve marine resources, such as releasing young fish and returning small grunts to the sea.

Shirasu whitebait

Shirasu whitebait are the young of three species of ‘iwashi’ fish: sardines, anchovies, and round herring. The most abundant catches are in early spring and early fall.
Shirasu whitebait that are landed are usually immediately given to processors to make into the boiled whitebait and chirimen (boiled and dried whitebait) that are commonly eaten. Fresh shirasu whitebait in particular are eaten raw with vinegar and miso or vinegar and soy sauce and has a taste that is unique to the local area and can only be enjoyed when freshly caught.
Shirasu fishing in Tanabe Bay is by boat seine (batch net fishing) that is done around Japan or by anchor seine netting that is unique to Tanabe. Anchor seine net fishing is an old-fashioned method of catching fish by pulling a net that has been lowered into the water. It is currently a rare fishing method in Japan, only done in the Isoma region of Wakayama Prefecture.
Shirasu whitebait landed with anchor seine net fishing are fresher as they are not damaged. These fish are highly valued as luxury products as the catch volume from this fishing method is extremely low.

Hirome seaweed

Hirome seaweed is the same species and genus as wakame seaweed that is extremely rare, found only in very limited areas across Japan.
It grows to up to a meter in length into a large round paper fan shape. It is soft and creamy with a unique crunchy texture.
It is harvested from late January to early April and is used in hot pots, miso soup, vinegared and simmered dishes, and salads. It is highly popular among locals as a seaweed that heralds the arrival of spring.
Japan Fishery Cooperatives Wakayamaminami carries out promotional activities, mostly in the Keihanshin area, under the name Kishu Hirome.

Council members that sell fishery products