Sustainable exploitation of fish and forestry

Question 1

What is overfishing?

Answer 1

Overfishing occurs when fish are taken from the sea faster than they can reproduce. When this happens, fish stocks decrease quickly and become depleted.

Question 2

Why is overfishing happening? (explain 2 of these points in detail)

Answer 2

1. Improved ships: super trawlers have increased the amount of fish caught annually. They can catch fish and then store them in huge refrigerators to preserve them. Trawlers remain at sea and continue to fish. e.g. the margiris
2. Improved technology: Super-trawlers have the capability to better locate fish. They use echo sounders and sonar equipment to locate shoals (large groups of fish).
3. Motorised winch cranes:
4. netting: monofilament nets are hard for fish to see.

Question 3

List some ways to prevent overfishing. (5)

Answer 3

1. Ensuring fishing trawlers only fish within their own waters.
2. Reducing the amount of fish that are allowed to be caught.
3. Surveying fish stocks to record if they get too low. the fishing of certain fish may be stopped completely if stocks are too low.
4. Reducing fishing fleets in our seas.
5. restricting the fishing of certain types of fish at a specific time of the year so as not to interrupt breeding seasons.

Question 4

What is aquaculture? List a common type of this in Ireland.

Answer 4

Aquaculture is the breeding, rearing and harvesting of animals and plants in water. Fish farming is the most common type of aquaculture in Ireland.

Question 5

Examine fish farming environmentally, economically and socially.

Answer 5

1. Environmentally:
   It has helped fish stocks recover and even increase for some types of fish. Releasing farmed salmon into the wild could spread disease to wild salmon.
2. economically:
   Fishing is worth hundreds of millions to Ireland each year.
3. Socially: The number of people employed in fish farming and aquaculture relies on this for their income.

Question 6

What is a sustainable forest and how is it kept sustainable?

Answer 6

A sustainable forest is a forest that is carefully managed, trees that are felled are replaced with seedlings that eventually grow into mature trees.

Question 7

What two types of things do forests provide us with?

Answer 7

forests provide two different types of essential products: timber-based products; they are all wood products. Non-timber based products which are made up of anything else a forest can provide.

Question 8

What is illegal logging and what is it an example of?

Answer 8

illegal deforestation or logging occurs when trees are harvested and the resulting products are then bought or sold. It is done without seeking permission from those who own or manage the forest. it is an example of a threat to forestry.

Question 9

What are the impacts of illegal logging?

Answer 9

It can drive down the price of timber around the world.

It damages the economic livelihood of local communities and companies, who rely on legal forestry as a source of income.

Question 10

What is one of the main reasons why deforestation occurs?

Answer 10

To clear the land for agribusiness.
Increased demand for food around the world has, in turn, increased the rate at which our forests are being cut down and replaced with farms.

Question 11

What does Coillte do for Irish forestry? (4)

Answer 11

Coillte makes sure that forestry in Ireland is done in a sustainable way.

1. Saplings are planted.
2. When forests reach a young age, they are used for human activities such as camping and cycling.
3. Middle-aged forests are used for cutting down trees.
4. Old-age forests are cut down completely.

Question 12

What is the value of forestry in Ireland economically, environmentally and socially?

Answer 12

Environmental value:
Trees convert harmful carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Economic value:
Coillte contributes €4.2 billion to the Irish economy each year.
Social value:
There are currently 12,000 people employed by Coillte in Ireland.