In the sea off the coast of Esashi in the Okhotsk region, where the drift ice has already left, the Esashi Fisheries Cooperative has begun work on developing the scallop fishing grounds. They are hoping for a good catch of high-quality Esashi Scallops and are eradicating their natural enemy, starfish.
　
The fishing grounds along the Esashi coast are divided into four areas. Each year, one of the areas is developed, with the scallops being harvested four years later. This year, the work began on March 8. Large, rake-like fishing gear is used to scrape the seafloor. Scallops left over from the previous are also caught and frozen.

The release of young scallops will begin in April, and the main work will begin in June. Last year, ‘Esashi Scallops’ was registered as a regional collective trademark with the Japan Patent Office. “The development of the fishing grounds is like plowing a field before sowing the seeds. It is an important process for improving the quality of the Esashi Scallops,” explained the fisheries cooperative.