Hakata Bay

A bay facing the Genkai Sea, north of Fukuoka City, also known as Fukuoka Bay. The area connecting the northwestern tip of Shikanoshima Island with Genkai Island and Nishiura Misaki, the northeastern tip of the Itoshima Peninsula, and the area southwest of Nokonoshima Island is also known as Imazu Bay. The water is shallow due to river sedimentation such as the Nakagawa River, and Uminonakamichi and Shikanoshima Island act as breakwaters, so seaweed farming and other activities were actively carried out in the bay, but seawater pollution caused by the development of Hakata Port and large-scale land reclamation led to a rapid decline. However, there are many fish species at the mouth of the bay, and in spring, icefish swim up the estuaries of the Muromi River and Zuibaiji River. Hakata Fishing Port, at the western end of Hakata Port, is one of the major bases for west-west bottom trawl fishing in the country. The coastal area is rich in scenic spots and remains from the Mongol invasions, and has been designated as Genkai Quasi-National Park.

[Masaaki Ishiguro]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

福岡市の北側、玄界灘(げんかいなだ)に面する湾で、福岡湾ともいう。志賀島(しかのしま)の北西端と玄界島、糸島(いとしま)半島北東端西浦岬(にしうらみさき)を結ぶ区域内で、能古島(のこのしま)の南西側海域は今津湾ともいわれる。那珂川(なかがわ)などの河川堆積(たいせき)によって水深が浅く、海ノ中道と志賀島が防波堤の役目を果たすために湾内ではノリ養殖などが盛んに行われていたが、博多港の発達と大規模埋立てによって海水汚濁が進み急速に衰退した。しかし、湾口部では魚種も豊富で、春には室見(むろみ)川、瑞梅寺(ずいばいじ)川の河口にシロウオが上る。博多港西端の博多漁港は全国有数の以西底引網漁業の基地である。沿岸一帯は元寇(げんこう)の遺跡や景勝地に富み、玄海国定公園に指定されている。

［石黒正紀］

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