The 30-page document details the breadth of industries that rely on the Scottish ports sector and outlines the approaches needed to keep the industry thriving in the decades ahead. It includes the British Ports Association’s positions on a range of recent opportunities and challenges for Scottish ports, including Green Freeports, ports preparedness for offshore wind projects, shore power, and has a number of strategic asks for policymakers.

The document covers the following industries within the wider ports sector: Agriculture, Aquaculture, Carbon Capture and Storage, Cleaning, Coastal Shipping, Cruise, Fishing, Hydrogen, Offshore Wind, Oil and Gas Decommissioning, Onshore Wind, Recreational Sailing, Shipbuilding, and Wave and Tidal Power.

It is also aimed for those wishing to learn more about the Scottish ports sector as it explains the various functions of ports – from how they keep Scottish communities connected and supplied, to their more specific roles in conservancy and navigation.

The report shows how:

• Ports directly employ an estimated 18,600 people in Scotland
• Scottish ports contribute an estimated £1.5bn GVA to the Scottish economy every year
• Scotland is home to three of the five largest fishing ports in the UK