Chapter 5: Productive

This dataset was created by the Scottish Government and represents passenger and vehicle ferry services in Scotland. These are the routes for the start and end terminals in the Scottish Ferry Ports dataset. It was initially created for use within the development of the Scottish Government's Urban Rural Classification. Both subsidised and private routes are included, as well as the seasonality of the route and whether it can take vehicle or foot passengers only. Ferry routes and attributes are based upon route information obtained from operator websites (e.g. Caledonian MacBrayne, NorthLink Ferries, etc.).

The Kingfisher Information Service - Offshore Renewable & Cable Awareness project (KIS-ORCA) is a joint initiative between the European Subsea Cables Association (ESCA), Renewable UK and the Kingfisher Information Service of Seafish. KIS-ORCA commenced on 01 January 2012 and supersedes the successful KIS-CA project. KIS-ORCA now includes subsea cables (power and telecommunications) surrounding the UK and, for the first time, UK offshore renewable energy structures, in the form of constructed offshore wind farms.

This layer shows routes of seabed cables for telecommunications and is as zoom restricted. See http://www.kis-orca.eu/ for further details.

Regional Inshore Fisheries Groups (RIFGs) are bodies that aim to improve the management of Scotland's inshore fisheries (out to twelve nautical miles) and to give commercial inshore fishermen a strong voice in wider marine management developments. Originally six pilot IFGs were established in 2009 (covering the Outer Hebrides, the Clyde, the south east of Scotland, the north west, small isles and Mull, and Moray Firth) and each developed an inshore fisheries management plan for its area. This was followed in 2013 by six Inshore Fisheries Groups (IFGs) covering all of the Scottish coast (except Shetland which has its own management arrangements). The West Coast and North & East Coast RIFGs were established in April 2016 and replace the four IFGs that formerly covered the Scottish mainland coast.

This layer shows the RIFG network, which includes the West Coast, North & East Coast and Outer Hebrides RIFGs, along with the Orkney Management Group and Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation. 

In 2020, the scope of RIFGs was extended to the 12NM limit as part of the Future Fisheries Management (FFM) policy.

Historic Aggregate Areas layer shows two areas (in the Firth of Forth and Firth of Tay) that have been dredged for aggregate previously but are not currently licensed.