William Though Isahaya Bay (諫早湾) is located in Nagasaki, as it served as an estuary for Ariake Sea, its health affects Kumamoto. Isahaya was diked off in 1989 for two purposes: to protect against typhoons and to provide farmland. While the former purpose may have been fulfilled, the latter has not: the soil quality of the reclaimed land is too poor to grow anything. Estuaries are crucial for the health of such a narrow body of seawater as the Ariake. The crustaceans and plants that populate an estuary constitute a natural filtering system. Kumanichi reports that a group of Ariake fishermen, concerned about the damage the dike causes, sued to force the government to keep the gates permanently open and to reconstitute the estuary. Though the fishermen won in the lower courts, the Fukuoka High Court ordered that the gates remain shut. The dissatisfied fishermen have vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court. https://kumanichi.com/articles/600447