JP139Hakata bay

Site Description

Wetlands

Hakata Bay, which is located in the northwestern part of Fukuoka Prefecture, is an inner bay facing the Genkainada Sea. It has a natural coast that consists of tidal flats, sandy beaches and reefs, etc.

Therefore, it is characterized by a wide variety of biota including benthos and halophyte, and together with the surrounding arable lands, the site is an important habitat for wild birds.

Its tidal flats, however, are decreasing because its coastline has been reclaimed with the progress of urbanization, and there remains only the Wajirohigata tidal flat (about 80 ha) lying in the estuaries of the Wajirogawa river and the Tonoharugawa river, the Tataragawa estuary (about 30 ha), the Muromigawa estuary (about 15 ha), and Imazu tidal flat (about 80 ha) lying in the Zuibaijigawa estuary, each of which has a sizable area. The arable lands are decreasing rapidly, and good habitats for wild birds are also disappearing.

Area & Coordinates

9,000ha 33°37′N 130°21′E
region: Kyushu Region, Fukuoka

Category

A1, A4i

Designation Type

Wildlife Protection Area (government), Wildlife Protection Area (Local)

Protection Status

Partially protected

Conservation issues

• Recreation/tourism
• Infrastructure
• Industrialization/urbanization
• Consequences of animal/plants/ introductions
• Other