Natural resources of Ireland

The primary natural resources of Ireland, include natural gas, petroleum, peat, copper, lead, dolomite, barite, limestone, gypsum, silver and some zinc. Key industries based on these and other natural resources include fishing, foresting, mining, livestock, and other forms of agriculture and fish farming.

Peat has been Ireland's staple fuel for centuries and still provides about 12% of the nation's energy needs. Bord na Móna (translating from the Irish to mean "Peat Board") extracts more than 4 million tonnes of peat annually^{[citation needed]}.

Ireland's experience with state-sponsored renewable energy projects stretches back to 1925, and the Ardnacrusha project. Other new and renewable energy projects include other hydroelectric, solar, and wind power initiatives. One of the country's first wind farms was created in 1992 at the Bellacorick in County Mayo. However other individual wind turbine projects were previously (and have since been) progressed.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Ireland

General

Farming (including livestock rearing, dairy products, cereals, potatoes), is a key economic contributor. The livestock of Ireland consists of 6.41 m cattle, 4.81 m sheep, 1.76 m pigs, 11.3 m chickens.^{[citation needed]}. Agriculture remains an important economic factor in Ireland - with the primary sector accounting for 5% of Irish GDP, and 8% of employment. In 2004, Ireland exported approximately €7.15 billion worth of agri-food and drink (about 8.4% of Ireland's exports), mainly as cattle, beef, and dairy products, and mainly to the United Kingdom.^[1] Agriculture products consist of turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, beef, and dairy products.

Energy derived from Ireland's natural resources includes natural gas production of 855 million cu m (2004 est), with domestic consumption running at 4.295 billion cu m (2004 est). Ireland exports 3.44 billion cu m, with natural gas reserves of 19.82 billion cu m. Oil consumption equals 175,600,000 barrels (27,920,000 m³) per day (2003 est). Oil imports outweigh exports, with 27,450,000 barrels (4,364,000 m³) per day exported (2001) and imports of 178,600,000 barrels (28,400,000 m³) per day.^{[citation needed]} Electricity production in 2001 was 23.53 billion kWh; Of which sources were: fossil fuels 95.9%, hydro: 2.3%, nuclear: 0%, other: 1.8% (2001).^{[citation needed]}

Primary raw material industries include: steel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminum, barite, and gypsum mining processing. Although heavy industry centers around key cities such as Belfast, Dublin, Cork, and other important port cities. Machinery and equipment manufacturing, food processing, and textile and electronics manufacturing are the leading industries of Ireland. Among those are also included paper making, furniture manufacturing, and shipbuilding. Northern Ireland is historically noted for its linen manufacture.

Fishing

For many years, Ireland has been noted for being one of the best fishing destinations in Europe[1]. Ireland is an island nation that has extensive fishing grounds in its territorial seas and waters, part of which are protected from overfishing by the Irish Conservation Box.

In addition, Ireland has almost 14,000 kilometres of rivers that bear fish, along with numerous lakes. The freshwater lakes of the country provide an area of 357,000 square kilometres, providing a habitat for considerable fish life. (County Cavan alone boasts some 365 lakes.)

Some of the native species are char, eel, rainbow trout, perch, pike, pollan, and roach. Ireland's mild climate is favorable for fishing. The North Atlantic Drift warms the waters off the islands on the west coast so that the channels support both warm and cold water fish. In total, there are 64 types of fish and shellfish off the coast of Ireland. These include: Basking Shark, Blue Shark, Butterfish, Cod, Common Dogfish, common skate, Conger Eel, Greater Pipefish, Greater Sandeel, Mackerel, Lesser Sandeel, Lesser Weever, Lumpsucker, Pike, Plaice, Porbeagle Shark, Rainbow Trout, Roach, Tench, Tompot blenny, Tope.

Mining

Ireland's mining companies include the Anglo American plc, Arcon International Resources plc, Boliden Mineral AB, Conroy Diamonds and Gold P.l.c., Hereward Ventures plc, Mino Mining & Metals Corporation, Minco plc, and Strongbow Resources Ltd.[2]

Anglo American plc

The Anglo-American plc is a mining and natural resources company. It is interested in significant and important gold, platinum, diamonds, coal, base and ferrous metals, industrial minerals and forest products.[3]

Arcon International Resources plc

Arcon is an Irish registered mineral and mining exploration organization. It manages the Galmoy Zinc Mine, carrying out foregoing mineral exploration activities.[4] Galmoy is now run by the Swedish owned company Lundin.

Boliden Mineral AB

New Boliden is a mining and smelting company with operations in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Ireland. Boliden's main minerals are copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver. They have more than 4,500 employees globally, and a turnover of approximately EUR 2 billion annually.[5]

Conroy Diamonds and Gold

Conroy Diamonds and Gold was established in 1995 to exploit the discovery of the Galmoy Ore deposits - now in production as a major zinc mine. Its current activities are on a geological structure known as the Longford-Down Massif.[6]

Hereward Ventures plc

Hereward Ventures plc is focused on the exploration of gold in Bulgaria, and base-land minerals in Ireland.[7]

Minco Mining & Metals Corporation

Minco Mining & Metals Corporation engages in the acquisition, search and development of base and precious metal properties.[8]

Minco plc

Minco, which is an active zinc explorer, focusing on Pallas Green in Limerick where excavation shows some zinc mineralization [9].

Legislation affecting natural resource management

Wildlife Act of 1976

The Wildlife act of 1976, was an act that would protect certain wildlife (including game) and flora. Under its terms, the "Wildlife Advisory Council" was also established - known officially in the Irish language as "An Chomhairle Fhiadhulra". The functions of this body included the establishment and maintenance of reserves and refuges for wildlife, the ongoing protection of breeding grounds, herd management, migration, etc. It would also make certain provisions relating to land, inland waters and the territorial waters of the state. [10]

This act was followed by the "Wildlife Advisory Council Order" on March 13, 1978, the "Wildlife Act, 1976 (Protection of Wild Animals) Regulations" on September 10, 1980, the "Wildlife Act, 1976 (Acquisition of Land) Regulations" on February 6, 1978, and others.

The Act has been amended several times, first by the "European Communities (Wildlife Act, 1976) (Amendment) Regulations, 1985", which sought to manage, conserve, and protect birds. The second amendment was the "European Communities (Wildlife Act, 1976) (Amendment) Regulations, 1986", which added the control of species of wild bird which may cause damage or injury to specified interests. The most recent was the "Wildlife (Amendment) Act, 2000 (Act No. 38 of 2000)", which provided statutory protection for Natural Heritage Areas as well as legislation relating to the management and conservation of forests, including the hunting and capture of birds in protected forests.

Forestry Act of 1988

The Forestry Act of July 13, 1988, would make provisions for the enlargement of forestry in the state, and provided the establishment of a company - later named Coillte Teoranta - which would be mandated with the management of state owned forests, and with providing grant aid to commercial and privately owned forest farming and planted woodland.[11] It was later amended on August 15, 2000.

Sea Pollution Act of 1991

Originally constituted on August 11, 1959, the Sea Pollution Act:

1. set out to prevent the pollution of the sea by oil and other substances; it gave effect to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships;
2. would give effect to the Protocol concerning intervention on the high seas in cases of pollution by substances other than oil (Intervention Protocol);
3. provided for the repeal of the Oil Pollution of the Sea Acts, 1956 to 1977; and
4. provided for other matters related.[12]

Also included was the maintenance of marine pollution (also with shipped based sources), oil pollution, and waste water.

Protection of the Environment Act of 2003

The Protection of the Environment act of July 14, 2003, was enacted to provide for the Execution of Directive 96/61/EC (dated September 24, 1996) of the Council of the European Communities concerning integrated pollution prevention and control and certain other acts adopted by the institutions of the EU. It also amended the Environmental Protection Agency Act of 1992 and the Waste Management Act of 1996, the Litter Pollution Act 1997 and to provide for foregoing matters.[13]

It basically sought to prevent water pollution and protect land and soil quality. The act came from Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992. of 1996, Waste Management Act, 1996. on May 20, 1996, Planning And Development Act, 2000 (Act No. 30 of 2000). on August 28, 2000, European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Amendment) Regulations, 1994. on April 13, 1994.

Fishery (Amendment) Act of 2002

The Fishery (amendment) Act of 2002, sought to modify and extend the Fisheries (Amendment) Act of 1997; to confirm fees payable to the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources in respect of certain fish culture and aquaculture licenses and for relative purposes.[14]

It was originally dated as November 27, 2001.

Fishery (amendment) Act of 2003

A more detailed act followed in 2003, and sought to support the United Nations Agreement on the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on The Law of The Sea on December 10, 1982. This relates to the Conservation and Management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks; to provide for an independent appeals system in relative to the licensing of sea-fishing boats, to amend and extend the Foreshore Act of 1933, the Fisheries Acts 1959 to 2001 and the Merchant Shipping (Certification of Seamen) Act of 1979, and to provide for foregoing matters.[15]

References

1. ^ Bord Bia (March 2005). Agri-Food Sector - Factsheet Irish Food Board. Retrieved on 8 August 2006.

External links

• Ireland Minerals
• Ireland Economy 2000-2001.
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