Economy, Forestry and Fishing

The government of Ireland has undertaken extensive schemes of reforestation in an effort to reduce the country’s dependence on timber imports and to provide raw material for new paper mills and related industries. In 2000 forests occupied 10 percent of Ireland’s total land area; the output of timber was 2.7 million cubic meters (94 million cubic feet).

The fishing industry, which has traditionally been underdeveloped, is expanding; the catch in 1997 was 329,496 metric tons. Deep-sea catches include herring, cod, mackerel, whiting, and plaice. Crustaceans, particularly lobsters, crawfish, and prawns, and mollusks such as oysters and periwinkles, are plentiful in coastal waters and form the bulk of the country’s seafood exports. The inland rivers and lakes provide excellent fishing for salmon, trout, eel, and several varieties of coarse fish.