1b Study Fig.

4a, which shows information on cod fishing in the North Sea to the
east of the United Kingdom.

i) With reference to Fig. 4A, describe the relationship between cod catches
and additions to the cod stocks between 1963 and 2003 in the North Sea [4]

• 1963 – 1968: Both additions to cod stocks and the total cod caught
increased
• 1963 – 1965: additions to cod stocks is larger than the total cod caught,
although there is a sharper rise in cod caught
• 1965 – 1968: this trend continued and in 1965, the total amount of cod
caught overtook the total additions to cod stocks (300 thousand tones vs
250 thousand tones in 1968)
• After 1965, the total amount of cod caught is greater than the amount of
additions to cod stock
• After 1968, there is a decline in both total additions to cod stocks and cod
caught (with the exception of 1973 to 1978)
• 1973 – 1978: because of the rise in cod caught and a concordant fall in
additions to cod stocks, there was a large difference/ gap between these
amounts
• 1978 onwards: fall in cod caught is sharper than fall in additions to cod
stocks, closing the gap between these amounts
• 1993 to 1998: slight increase in both, before a fall from 1998

½ m per pt (Be aware of trends and rates of increase/decrease)

ii) Most of the world’s fisheries are fully exploited, overexploited or depleted.
Explain how the Blue Revolution could help preserve fish stocks. [3]

• Encouraged fish farming where farmers rear fish in tanks, ponds or

enclosed areas under special conditions that promote growth, instead of
catching fish from the oceans
• Medicine and vaccines used to improve the health and nutrition of fish
• Research to develop ways to increase the fertility of fish, improve their
growth rate and increase their resistance to disease.

1 m per pt